Drawing, Study for Plate 39 (nos. 204-217) in "Designs for Various Ornaments"

This object is not part of the Cooper Hewitt's permanent collection. It was able to spend time at the museum on loan from The Morgan Library & Museum as part of Mr. Pergolesi's Curious Things.

When Pergolesi set out to reproduce his watercolor drawings in print, he began the process using a surprisingly idiosyncratic method. Rather than drafting new studies, he took the small sketches upon which he had already drawn his preliminary designs—the bits of paper from his ornament scrapbook—and rearranged them in a collage. He then reworked the drawings in pen and graphite, adding new details and dense borders. The resulting ornament prints are still closely related to the Cooper Hewitt watercolors but tend to be much more elaborate.

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Mr. Pergolesi's Curious Things.