Design for a Lighthouse
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-293-2
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This print, titled Design for a Lighthouse, was created by A. Le Canu, a French artist active between 1746 and 1768. Dating from 1760 to 1775, it is classified as a print and forms part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum collection, acquired through purchase by the Advisory Council. The work captures an architectural concept from mid-18th-century France, when prints commonly circulated designs among professionals. Lighthouses held practical importance for navigation, and this piece illustrates how such structures were visualized and shared during a period of advancing engineering knowledge. As a reproducible print, it would have enabled wider study of the proposed form and details. Though specific techniques remain undocumented, the artwork highlights the blend of artistic skill and functional planning typical of the era. It offers museum visitors a window into historical design processes, showing how 18th-century creators documented ideas that supported maritime safety and innovation.