This is an antique print from Cours d'architecture qui comprend les ordres de Vignole, by Augustin-Charles d'Aviler (1653-1701), published in Paris by Jean Mariette in 1738.

The book was an important French architectural treatise covering architecture, architectural decoration, construction and garden design. The 1738 edition was revised and enlarged, with numerous engraved plates illustrating buildings, architectural details, decorative schemes and interior design.

This is a genuine 18th-century print from the 1738 edition, and not a later reproduction. It may show the normal signs of age associated with an antique print, including foxing, staining, marks, discolouration and other imperfections - please study the photographs carefully to determine the exact condition.

This particular print is Plate 98.D, entitled "Corniches nouvelles en voussure" (new vaulted cornices). It contains several highly elaborate Rococo designs for cornices and architectural decoration, including curved cornice profiles, sculptural ornament, painted cameo decoration, cartouches, figures and ornamental scrollwork. The large lower design incorporates an elaborate central decorative panel surrounded by flowing Rococo ornament and putti.

The plate is a particularly good example of the ornamental and decorative side of 18th-century French architecture, rather than simply depicting a building. It would make an attractive piece for anyone interested in Rococo design, French architecture, interior decoration, architectural ornament or antique prints.

The Louvre holds a matching 1738 example of Corniches nouvelles en voussure, identifying it as an engraving associated with Augustin-Charles d'Aviler's Cours d'architecture.

It measures approximately 22 × 15.5cm (8.7 × 6.1 inches).

Postage: The print will be carefully protected and dispatched on the next working day, or usually the same day if purchased in the morning.