This unique album brings together 20 pages of original drawings executed with remarkable mastery in pencil and ink, along with 11 pages of engraved references. It appears to be a personal album, likely compiled within an art workshop or a decorative arts school during the 19th century. The drawings reveal an expert hand: architectural frames, monograms, allegorical figures, heraldic emblems, and vegetal motifs reflect a true ornamental culture serving the applied arts. The precision of the line, the sense of volume, and the diversity of styles demonstrate a high level of artistic training, likely intended to inspire engravers, bookbinders, goldsmiths, or typographers. As a whole, this collection forms a valuable source of both documentary and aesthetic inspiration for 19th-century craft traditions.
✦ Provenance: Decorative arts workshop or school, Western Europe ✦ Estimated period: 19th century (circa 1850–1880) ✦ Dimensions: Approx. 23 × 18 cm ✦ Material: Laid paper, marbled cardboard binding ✦ Contents: 20 pages of original drawings + 2 loose, 11 pages of mounted engravings ✦ Condition: Good overall condition; worn corners and cover, some foxing; drawings well preserved; two detached pages. Binding damaged but still solid.
A decorative piece illustrating 19th-century applied arts – ideal for collectors of antique drawings, museums, or as a source of inspiration for contemporary artisans, engravers, and typographers.
