Initially considered as the very substance of artistic form and beauty, ornamentation, over the course of the 17th century, tended to be associated with the superfluous or a form of vanity, and was reserved for arts that could only be minor. What is thus the true status of ornament? What place does it hold in the arts of the time, from the creation to the completion of works? What aesthetic challenges does it pose? By striving to answer these questions, this book aims to help define the meaning of artistic beauty for the 17th century.