Console table 1755 - 1775

Editor: Here we have a console table from around 1755-1775, attributed to Jean-Baptiste Joseph Delafosse. It’s made of carved wood and marble and located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I’m really struck by how ornate and frankly, excessive, it is. What can you tell me about its history? Curator: It's certainly a product of its time. Console tables like this were integral to displaying wealth and power within aristocratic homes. This piece reflects the Rococo style's embrace of ornamentation, which served very specific social functions. What sort of messages about wealth and influence do you think these intricate carvings sent to visitors? Editor: Well, the amount of detail definitely signals money and the power to commission such a piece. But it also seems to communicate a certain cultural refinement, like an appreciation for beauty. Do you think these kinds of messages were widely accessible at the time? Curator: That’s an insightful observation. While the elite certainly understood those visual cues, it's important to remember the power dynamics at play. Objects like these weren’t just aesthetic; they actively reinforced social hierarchies. How might access to such refined goods affected broader socio-economic relations at the time? Editor: It makes you wonder about those excluded. I guess seeing such displays of wealth would have created even more division and dissatisfaction. Curator: Precisely. Think about the broader cultural landscape. The arts, then and now, are not created in a vacuum. Who gets to decide what is "good" art? Whose stories get told in museums, and whose are left out? These are crucial questions we should always consider. Editor: This has given me a lot to consider about how art isn’t just about beauty, it’s a social and political statement. Curator: Exactly! And remember, by examining the past, we can start understanding the underlying structures of our present-day social order and institutional practices.