Side Chair c. 1936

Alfred Nason created this drawing of a side chair; an object that speaks volumes about class and social standing. Consider its familiar form: a shield back, decorative swags, all rendered with careful attention to measurement. These design elements echo the late 18th-century Neoclassical style, popular among elites and those who sought to emulate them. By the time Nason made this drawing, such forms were part of the visual language of power, connecting the user to a lineage of refinement and authority. This wasn't just about sitting; it was about inhabiting a role within a social hierarchy. To understand this drawing more deeply, one might research the pattern books of the period, or explore the marketing materials of furniture makers. By looking at such historical resources, the meanings of objects like this chair are contingent on social and institutional contexts.