Kast 1832 - 1877

This is an undated print of a ‘Kast,’ a type of wardrobe, made anonymously. As indicated by the print, this piece of furniture is designed in the Louis XVI style which recalls the opulence of the French aristocracy before the revolution. Note the emphasis on symmetry, the right angles, and the neoclassical motifs, all of which were favored by the wealthy. While the print depicts just one object, it gestures towards the larger culture of conspicuous consumption and extreme inequality that defined this era. It's impossible not to consider the historical context, to think of the looming social upheaval that would soon sweep away the world of kings and queens and ornate furniture like this. It prompts us to consider the relationship between luxury, power, and the human cost of such excess.