Commode 1775 - 1795

Editor: This is a commode, a decorative chest, made of wood, dating back to between 1775 and 1795. It was crafted by Claude-Charles Saunier. It's ornate and a bit flamboyant, a real statement piece. What are your initial thoughts about it? Curator: Oh, it sings, doesn’t it? Imagine it presiding in a gilded salon, whispering secrets of powdered wigs and hushed romances. I see the Rococo spirit bursting forth. Note the playful asymmetry – the birds facing different directions on the panels - as if captured mid-chatter. Don’t you think it’s less about pure functionality and more about conjuring a feeling, an atmosphere? Editor: Definitely. It almost feels theatrical. What does its extravagance tell us about the period? Curator: Think of Versailles. The elite sought to surround themselves with beauty, luxury became a language of power. Saunier, here, wasn't just making furniture; he was composing a miniature drama in wood and gilded bronze. Look at the dark marble top, almost a stage upon which the drama unfolds! And these details, were not just showing off but using artistry to shape perception. A fascinating thought, no? Editor: It really makes you consider how furniture can be a form of storytelling. Curator: Exactly! And we become the audience. This commode then serves as a window into another time. Do you agree? Editor: I completely agree. It’s amazing how much a piece of furniture can tell you. I definitely see it differently now, less of a thing and more of a voice. Curator: A voice from a world both utterly different and perhaps, in its striving for beauty, not so very far from our own.