Sweet Splendour

Drawings of Desserts in the Eighteenth-Century Dutch Republic

Abstract

An important aspect of elite dining culture in eighteenth-century Europe were the impressive centrepieces made of sugar, also known as desserts. Little is known about the design of these ephemeral tablescapes. Although often surviving in literary descriptions, the appearance of these objects was rarely documented in visual sources. To gain more insight into the creative process that underpinned the design and execution of confectionary centrepieces, as well as the status of confectioners as artists and artisans, this article considers the authorship and function of three very rare drawings depicting desserts made by Dutch confectioners.