Center Table c. 1862

Editor: This is Joseph Cremer's "Center Table" from around 1862, currently residing at The Art Institute of Chicago. It's crafted from carved wood, and it's so ornate! It makes me think of elaborate parlors and high society. What draws your attention to this table? Curator: What immediately strikes me is the labor embedded in this piece. Think about the carving. Wood wasn't simply 'art' material; it was a commodity, harvested, traded, and shaped by skilled hands. How does understanding that production process shift your perception? Editor: It definitely adds another layer. I was focusing on the decorative aspect, but considering the effort...the artisan's skill and time become so much more apparent. So it goes beyond just being a pretty table? Curator: Exactly! Look at the form. A center table suggests a specific social function – a focal point for display, conversation, maybe even a power dynamic. This wasn't mass produced. It represents conspicuous consumption in a very specific moment. The details become evidence. Editor: I see what you mean. And it's interesting how the material, the wood, is transformed to create this object of status. Was this type of ornate carving common at the time? Curator: Common for the elite. What about the availability and the value attributed to materials during this time? Who had access to it, and what kind of cultural capital did that provide? Editor: That makes so much sense. I'm thinking about how we often separate "art" from "craft" but here, it feels like they're completely intertwined. It's beautiful and functional and also carries all these complex layers about society and labor. Curator: Precisely. By focusing on the material and its making, we can excavate fascinating stories about economics, class, and artistry that a purely aesthetic approach might miss. Editor: I'll never look at furniture the same way again.