Hemelbed en twee aanzichten van een kast 1817

Pietro Ruga’s “Hemelbed en twee aanzichten van een kast” presents a meticulously drafted design for a stately bed and wardrobe. The linear precision speaks to a moment in design history when functionality began to merge with aristocratic aesthetics. This piece offers insight into the material culture of the upper classes, and prompts considerations of gender and class within the domestic space. During the time it was made, the bedroom was a site of both privacy and display; the bed was a symbol of status and intimacy, and its design reflected the occupant's position within the social hierarchy. The wardrobe, too, stood as a testament to personal wealth and the performance of identity. The artist encourages us to consider how such designs perpetuate or challenge existing societal norms. What does it mean to desire such objects? And whose stories are woven into the fabric of these designs?