L'Agriculture
mid- 18th–late 18th century
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-363-13
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This print, titled L'Agriculture, was created by the French artist P. Moithey, who was active throughout the 18th century. Dating from the mid- to late 1700s, the work takes as its subject agriculture, a theme that held deep cultural and economic importance in France at the time. Though little is documented about Moithey himself, his print joins a long tradition of French graphic art that depicted rural labor, the seasons, and the fruits of the land for both decorative and instructive purposes. As a print, the piece would have been produced in multiple impressions, allowing images of farming ...