Distinctive Design: European and North American Decorative Arts

Carriage House at One West Mount Vernon Place

Showcasing over 80 objects, two intimate galleries explore the decorative arts of Europe and North America in the eighteenth and nineteenth century, when audiences for luxurious objects expanded greatly due to trade and commerce, underpinned by the wealth generated through enslavement and colonial exploitation, and the spectacle of international exhibitions or world’s fairs, underpinned by nationalism and imperialism.

The gallery focusing on the eighteenth century shows portraits of women alongside objects they are depicted with, such as diamond rings, cameos, and intaglios (engraved gems and their imitations). The gallery focusing on the nineteenth century shows objects exhibited at world’s fairs, which attracted millions of visitors. Highlights of the Walters collection were purchased at these events, including Tiffany’s Iris corsage studded with sapphires sourced in Montana, and six outstanding examples of René Lalique’s innovative art nouveau jewelry.