Chaise longue 1895 - 1935

Léon Laroche created this print of a chaise longue in the Art Nouveau style. Emerging in the late 19th century, Art Nouveau sought to modernize design, drawing inspiration from the natural world. Here, the chaise longue—an item historically associated with the leisure of the upper classes, particularly women—is presented not merely as furniture, but as a statement of modern aesthetic sensibility. Consider the intertwined issues of gender and class that converge in this piece. It evokes the image of women in repose, but it also speaks to the socio-economic structures that afforded such leisure. Laroche challenges us to reflect on how design both serves and shapes our understanding of social roles, desires, and aspirations. What feelings does this print evoke for you? Does it represent the embrace of new forms and ideals, or the perpetuation of established hierarchies?