Lit Madame
late 18th century
Classification
furniture
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-395-57
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Lit Madame** *Pierre Ranson (French, 1736–1786), late 18th century**Smithsonian American Art Museum, Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council* into the refined world of late 18-century French decorative arts withLit Madame* by Pierre Ranson, master craftsman whose work graced the homes of Europe's elite. This exquisite piece of furniture, classified as a "lit madame"—a elegant daybed or chaise longue designed specifically for to rest or receive visitors—embodies the opulence of pre-Revolutionary France. R, active during the transition from rococo exuberance to neoclassical restra...