Tafelset voor koffie en suiker 1789

This print by de Saint-Morien depicts a design for an elaborate coffee and sugar set. The work evokes the 18th century, a period marked by the rise of coffee culture, and the associated social rituals and consumerism. Here, the artist’s rendering of silverware carries a clear set of visual codes. The coffee and sugar set is presented as an architectural marvel, more akin to a building than a functional object. It is designed according to the neoclassical style that dominated European art in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Notice the symmetry and the clean lines that evoke a sense of order and rationality. The work implies the social conditions that shape artistic production. The piece seems aimed at an aristocratic clientele and is not merely a functional item but a symbol of status. To truly understand this work, we might turn to sources on 18th-century design and social history, revealing the intricate relationship between art, society, and the rituals of daily life.