Wijnkoelers met sater- en leeuwenkoppen 1759 - 1800

Claude Dominique Vinsac created this print of wine coolers in Paris sometime in the late 18th century. It reflects the cultural milieu of pre-revolutionary France. Vinsac's prints document the luxury items that were fashionable among the elites. Wine coolers, adorned with satyrs and lions, speak to the values of the aristocracy with their interest in classical imagery and the finer things in life. The print was sold at the author's address on Rue de Gesvres, suggesting the growing role of artists in controlling the distribution of their work, but also the dependence on these aristocratic networks for commissions and sales. To fully understand this print, we must consider the social conditions of its time. Scholarly resources like period inventories can reveal the prevalence of such items in aristocratic households, while studies of artistic patronage can illuminate the relationship between artists and their elite clients. This helps us see art not as isolated objects, but as products of specific social and institutional contexts.