Commode 1735 - 1750

Editor: Standing before us is the "Commode," crafted between 1735 and 1750 by Bernard II van Risenburgh. It's quite the opulent affair, combining wood, marble, gouache, and gold, residing now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. What strikes me is the sense of contained storytelling—like miniature plays unfolding on furniture. What do you make of this extravagant object? Curator: Oh, it sings a song of powdered wigs and clandestine whispers! Van Risenburgh wasn't just building furniture; he was composing fantasies. Look at the landscapes painted on the drawers, dreamscapes framed by swirling gold. It's Rococo excess at its most playful. Do you see how the marble top mimics the painted scenes, like earth and sky reflected in a gilded mirror? Editor: Yes! The marble almost feels like another, more abstracted, landscape. But with all this ornamentation, does the object still function as, well, a commode? Or is it pure sculpture? Curator: Functionality becomes almost secondary, doesn't it? Though I imagine storing linens in such a chest would feel like placing them within a jeweled box. This commode is less about utility and more about embodying a lifestyle—one of leisure, artistry, and delight. The very air around it must have shimmered with perfume and the rustle of silk! It’s practically shouting "Let them eat cake!". Editor: So it's an experience, not just a storage unit. It is hard to believe that such an amazing object can actually be "furniture." Curator: Precisely. It transcends its function, becoming a cultural artifact, a poem whispered in wood and gold. To stand before it is to catch a glimpse of a world we can only imagine. It whispers tales that extend well beyond what you can store inside it, like catching glimpses of memory, desire, or potential, all held within reach, or secreted away. What do you think now? Editor: I definitely understand its opulence in the cultural moment, now. Thanks!