Side chair (chais à la reine) (one of a pair) 1784

Editor: So, here we have a side chair, or *chaise à la reine*, crafted in 1784 by Georges Jacob. It's a wooden sculpture, really, and part of the decorative arts. I am immediately struck by how the delicate pink fabric contrasts with the gilded, almost aggressively textured wood. It’s beautiful, but I wonder how to interpret its mix of restraint and excess. What do you make of it? Curator: This chair speaks volumes about its time. Think of the Rococo period; its essence is all about visual symbols. The chair isn’t merely furniture; it's a coded message. The gilded wood symbolizes wealth, power, divine right even, recalling classical motifs intended to communicate permanence. Consider the owner of the chair – perhaps Marie Antoinette herself. How might this inform its cultural memory? Editor: So, the materials speak to the power structures of the time? Is the pink also symbolic? Curator: Precisely. The pink softens the impact of the gold. Think of the colour pink: often associated with youth, beauty, femininity and love – which would be particularly resonant within a courtly setting, communicating not just about wealth, but refined taste and gentle power. Why do you think these choices were intentional, given the political context of the time? Editor: I suppose it shows the distance between the monarchy and the people, and perhaps even an obliviousness to the rumblings of revolution, with its inherent tension between excess and frivolity. Curator: An excellent insight. We are constantly reminded that even seemingly benign imagery reinforces ideologies and power structures. Do you see now how charged objects become with meaning and purpose? Editor: Yes, absolutely! This really makes me think about how the meanings of objects evolve across time. Thanks for shedding light on its complexities.