The Savoyard with His Box 1741 - 1763

This engraving by John Ingram portrays a Savoyard boy with his marmot box, part of a series depicting street criers of Paris. The image is of a young traveling entertainer from the Savoy region. The image creates meaning through visual codes and cultural references. It was made in France in the mid-18th century, during a period of social inequality and cultural exchange. The Savoyards were often depicted as poor and uneducated, yet also as resourceful and independent. The image may comment on the social structures of the time, highlighting the plight of marginalized groups. Institutions such as the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture shaped the production and reception of art, and the image may critique these institutions. Research into primary sources such as period documents, newspapers, and literature, as well as secondary sources such as biographies, social histories, and art criticism, is essential to understanding the social and institutional context of the image. The meaning of art is contingent on social and institutional context.