Settee 1786 - 1791

This settee was crafted at the Beauvais manufactory, a tapestry workshop in France that was favored by royalty. It is a piece that speaks volumes about the social stratification of the time. The tapestry, with its idyllic scenes of leisure and pastoral landscapes, presents an idealized vision of aristocratic life. The visual codes in the tapestry evoke a world of privilege and pleasure, detached from the realities of the working class. Such imagery was deliberately created to uphold the status quo and convey a sense of timeless elegance and authority. The Beauvais manufactory was an institution closely tied to the French monarchy, and its products were designed to enhance the prestige of the court. To fully understand it, scholars might examine royal inventories, workshop records, and contemporary accounts of court life. Through these resources, we see how art served as a tool for legitimizing power.