Plan du Confident
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-279-27
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Plan du Confident** is a captivating print by French artist Richard de Lalonde, active from 1780 to 1796, created between 1775 and 1788. As a master engraver and architect, Lalonde specialized in Neoclassical designs that graced the salons of the French aristocracy during the Louis XVI era. The title, translating to "Plan of the Confident," likely refers to a detailed blueprint for a *canapé confident*—an elegant S-shaped sofa designed for intimate tête-à-têtes, embodying the refined social etiquette of 18th-century France. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection, this wor...