LE THEATRE DâEAU
1672â1703
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-533-119
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Adam Perelle’s “Le Théâtre d’Eau” is a print made between 1672 and 1703 by the French artist (1638–1695). Created during a period when French printmakers were documenting the era’s grand estates and gardens, the work reflects the period’s interest in formal landscape design and hydraulic spectacle. Its title, translating to “The Water Theater,” points to an elaborate display of fountains and waterworks that would have dazzled contemporary viewers. As a print, the piece belongs to a medium that allowed such scenes to circulate widely beyond the original site. Visitors to the Smithsonian Americ...