Bras de Cheminée à la moderne
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-255-21
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This print, titled *Bras de Cheminée à la moderne*, was created around 1775 by the French artist Juste-François Boucher (1736–1782). Classified as a print and held in the Smithsonian American Art Museum (purchased by the Advisory Council), it reflects the ornamental traditions of late-18th-century France, a time when decorative designs circulated widely through printed media. The title suggests a contemporary treatment of fireplace or chimney-related elements, a frequent subject in period prints that helped disseminate fashionable interior ideas among artisans, patrons, and collectors. Such works combined artistic invention with practical utility, capturing evolving tastes in French decorative arts. Though the precise medium and further details of Boucher’s practice remain limited, the piece offers visitors a glimpse of 18th-century elegance and innovation. It invites appreciation of how prints preserved and promoted design concepts, bridging fine art and everyday ornament in pre-Revolutionary France.