The Morse Historic Design Lecture | A Grand Statement: The Surtout de Table

A Grand Statement: The Surtout de Table and French Empire Styling During the Napoleonic Era

The extraordinary surtout de table in the collection of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum and currently on view in Tablescapes: Designs for Dining, once belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte’s stepson, Prince Eugène de Beauharnais. Created by the prominent French sculptor and producer of gilt-bronze objects Pierre-Philippe Thomire, the surtout was intended for use on a long table at grand occasions, such as the diplomatic dinners Prince Eugéne would host in Paris and Italy.

An expert on European decorative arts and interior architecture, Dr. Ulrich Leben discusses the ornamental grammar of the surtout and its relationship to the interior architecture of the Palais Beauharnais, owned by Prince Eugène de Beauharnais and rebuilt in the Empire style in 1805.



The Enid and Lester Morse Historic Design Lecture Series is made possible by the generous support of Mr. and Mr.s Lester S. Morse, Jr.