Documenting design

To understand the history of decorative arts and design it is necessary to study the ways in which designs are created and transmitted. Documenting Design seeks to show how prints and drawings can demonstrate numerous aspects of the role of works on paper in the history of design. From early in the history of printmaking, prints were used to communicate designs both for specific objects and for ornamental patterns that could be applied to different kinds of objects, including architectural elements. A special category is the pattern- or model-book, intended to promote a particular style or…