unknown - One of a set of four projects for the decoration of wall panels at a height - 1675-1699 - T-Shirt

This is a symmetrical semicircular ornament drawn in brown ink and wash, with two putti, acanthus scrolls and an empty oval cartouche at its centre.

Visual Elements & Composition

Sepia brown and dark brown ink sit on pale cream paper, and the wash gives the scrolls their depth. The two halves mirror each other exactly. At the centre, an oval cartouche with a beaded rim is left open within the scrolled frame. Acanthus leaves and curling volutes fill the arch on both sides. A small putto on the left reaches up into the foliage, while a second putto on the right sits on a scroll and holds an object in one hand. A garland of fruit and flowers hangs below the cartouche, and a band of moulded ornament follows the curve of the outer edge.

Meaning & Symbolism

The lunette shape was built for a space above a door, window or cornice, and the blank oval was meant to hold a painted scene, a portrait or an inscription. The putti act as companions to the architecture, and their playful poses soften the weight of the scrolls. Symmetry in this style signalled order and display. This sheet is one of a set of four projects for decorating wall panels, drawn in the later seventeenth century, when acanthus, volutes and putti circulated among decorators, carvers and painters across Europe.

Designed for the Unisex Heavy Cotton Tee

A lunette is a single arch, and this design reads as one complete image from a short distance. Printed across the chest, the arch frames the wearer in the same way the original panel framed a room, with the open cartouche at the centre of the view. The balance of the mirrored halves holds together when you look at the shirt from across the room or up close.