Table 1655 - 1665

Editor: Here we have Pierre Gole's "Table" from around 1655 to 1665, a mixed-media piece of marquetry at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. What strikes me immediately is the density of the ornamentation – it’s incredibly rich and detailed. What aspects of its form stand out to you? Curator: The most compelling feature is indeed the interplay of ornamentation and structure. The rectangular tabletop, supported by cylindrical legs, provides a fundamental geometric framework. Notice the carved details which, upon close inspection, offer smaller, more intimate rectangles containing curvilinear designs. This relationship between the square and circle operates on all levels of the composition, with each canceling and enhancing the effects of the other. How do you read the application of colour? Editor: It appears that Gole intentionally uses contrasting colours to delineate different planes and draw the eye. The dark, richly patterned tabletop is visually separated from the lighter base and legs. What I am keen to understand is what makes the work, as a product, different from calling it pure decoration. Curator: A crucial distinction arises from Gole’s mastery of medium, using his mixed-media and carving background. The applied floral decoration that adorns its surface, for instance, acts in counterpoint to the clean verticals. These linear components simultaneously break up and reassert the rational geometry in their decoration. The artist manages to find perfect harmony between different structural elements. How does that read for you now? Editor: I see what you mean, it really boils down to a dialogue between structure and embellishment rather than pure surface decoration, and the ways the artist uses geometry. Thank you, that’s a fresh perspective for me. Curator: Indeed, art speaks to us in unexpected ways, particularly when form and material come into a coherent conversation. It is not decoration per se but articulation of different elements coming into the conversation.