A Picnic

Art Historical Context

Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection of European Paintings, *A Picnic* by Edmé Charles de Lioux Savignac (ca. 1766–72) is a delightful miniature painted on paper, measuring just 3 inches in. This intimate scale was typical of 18th miniatures, prized as personal treasures—often worn as jewelry or kept in private cases by the aristocracy. Savignac, a skilled French miniaturist, captured serene outdoor scene with men and women enjoying a leisurely picnic amid a lush landscape, evoking refined pleasures of Rococo-era leisure. The artwork reflects the cultural vogue for pastoral ...