Buirre pour les Ãvèque
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-313-16
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Buurre pour lesvêque** *Pierre Germain (French, 1703–1783), 1748* *Print; Smithsonian American Art Museum, purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council* into the elegant world of 18th French Rococo art with *Buurre pour lesvêque*, a print by master engraver Pierre Germain from1748. Born in Paris, Germain was a leading figure in ornamental design, crafting intricate engravings that the period's playful exuberance—think swirling shells, delicate foliage, and asymmetrical grace. Active during Louis XV's reign, he bridged fine art and decorative crafts, producing works that inspired go...