Gueridons en bureau c. 1710 - 1720

This print by André Charles Boulle depicts designs for elaborate furniture, capturing the opulent style favored during the reign of Louis XIV. Boulle was the leading cabinetmaker to the French court, a position that reflects the era's emphasis on luxury and display as markers of power and status. The designs are characterized by their intricate ornamentation and symmetry, embodying the Baroque aesthetic that dominated 17th and 18th century European art. Consider the historical context: the French court was a center of patronage and artistic innovation, but it was also a site of immense social stratification. Furniture like this would only have been accessible to a select few. Details such as carved figures and decorative inlays speak to the desires of the elite. Boulle's work offers us a glimpse into the aspirations and values of a society defined by both grandeur and inequality.