Secretary and bookcase 1770 - 1780

Editor: We're looking at a Secretary and Bookcase, dating back to between 1770 and 1780. It resides here at the Met. It's largely wood, carving, and relief. Gosh, the density of decoration strikes me! What's your read on it? Curator: What a flamboyant piece! When I gaze upon this, I imagine myself lost within the labyrinthine libraries of grand country estates! Look at how those Baroque sensibilities—the love of ornamentation and dynamism—manifest in the sinuous carvings. Tell me, do you see any contrast at play here? Editor: I do! It seems almost to pull in two different directions with these almost neoclassical figures and the decidedly baroque woodwork. Curator: Exactly! This blend reflects a transitional moment, doesn't it? Society's embrace of reason, yet unwilling to part with that love for visual richness. Those oval patterns down below – what do they whisper to you? For me, it's of hidden worlds, maybe even hidden thoughts! Editor: They do look like portals...to secret histories! It's all a very captivating balancing act between styles and suggestion. I wonder who might have commissioned it, what books it might have held? Curator: Indeed. Perhaps volumes of poetry penned under candlelight! It's tantalizing to ponder the lives entwined with its presence. Each carving seems to hold a secret, don’t you think? What’s your favorite aspect of the work? Editor: It has to be those little sculptures – how cleverly embedded they are in the architectural features, as integral parts of the whole. It's not just a pretty piece of furniture; it's also its own gallery! I had not considered that this was transitional! It is a masterpiece. Curator: What a delightful dance of intellect and emotion. We often perceive furniture merely as utilitarian, but here, art elevates the mundane into the extraordinary. What a treat for the eye and the soul, no?