Note 24 — THE ADAM PERIOD

“Rainceau, apparently derived from rain, an old French word, signifying the branch of a tree. This French term is also used by the artists of this country, to express the winding and twisting of the stalk or stem of the acanthus plant, which flowing round in many graceful turnings spreads its foliage with great beauty and variety, and is often intermixed with human figures, animals and birds, imaginary or real; also with flowers and fruits.

“This gay and fanciful diversity of agreeable objects, well composed and delicately executed in stucco or painting, attains a wonderful power of pleasing.”