Bras de Cheminée à l'Anglaise
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-255-23
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Juste-François Boucher (6–1782), a French artist from the illustrious Boucher family renowned for Rococo elegance, created *Bras de Cheminée l'Anglaise* around 1775. This print captures a moment of stylistic fusion in late 18th-century Europe when French designers eagerly adopted "English" motifs amid shifting tastes from ornate Rococo toward simpler Neoclassical forms. The title, translating to "English Chimney Arms" or brackets, suggests a decorative element for fireplaces—key focal points in grand interiors—blending Gallic refinement with perceived English practicality and restraint. As a ...