Sucrier
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-313-64
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Pierre Germain’s *Sucrier*, created in 1748, offers a glimpse into the refined decorative tastes of mid-eighteenth-century France. As a print rather than a finished object, it likely served to document or circulate a design for a sugar bowl—an everyday luxury item that reflected the growing elegance of domestic tableware during the reign of Louis XV. Germain, active from 1703 to 1783, worked at a time when prints played a vital role in sharing artistic ideas across Europe, allowing silversmiths, patrons, and collectors to study forms and ornament without needing access to the original pieces. ...