Twee confidents 1895 - 1935

Editor: Here we have "Twee confidents," dating from somewhere between 1895 and 1935, attributed to Léon Laroche. The piece combines drawing and printmaking. The delicate lines and pastel hues evoke a sense of restrained elegance. I’m especially curious about the names of the furniture, Louis XV and XVI… What historical context do you see reflected here? Curator: The sofas themselves are fascinating, these ‘confidantes’ represent a shift in social mores, where private conversation and intrigue flourished. Louis XV style is about intimacy and asymmetry; a playful attitude. But when we move to the Louis XVI one above, can’t you sense a move towards controlled symmetry, as well as cooler greens in place of hot pink? Editor: Yes, now I see it. There’s definitely a stricter feel to the Louis XVI piece. It’s less… inviting, somehow. More formal? Curator: Exactly! Think about the political atmosphere. Rococo speaks to pleasure and escapism. Later Neo-classicism mirrors revolutionary calls for order and virtue. See how the visual vocabulary echoes those power structures, domesticating political anxieties! Editor: It’s amazing how such subtle changes in furniture design can mirror huge shifts in the broader culture. Almost like propaganda. Curator: Indeed! Domestic space often becomes a stage on which we work out political dramas. The “confident” sofa offers a safe spot from which one can engage. Note also the symmetry giving two people in separate seating positions the capacity to discuss sensitive topics. One becomes much less exposed than a traditional love seat! Editor: I hadn't considered that. It really puts the term "confidant" in a new light, implying not just intimacy but strategic privacy. It goes beyond aesthetics, revealing society’s subtle needs. Curator: Precisely! It’s all encoded, waiting for someone to find the key.