Chair back 1765 - 1775

Curator: Oh, my first impression? It's utter romance. Imagine leaning back against this, a daydream spun from threads. The artist truly turned utility into an enchanted idyll. Editor: Exactly. Let’s contextualize that idyll. This textile, made somewhere between 1765 and 1775, is attributed to Philippe de Lasalle, and it’s called "Chair back.” It’s currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Its Rococo style evokes a very specific type of aristocratic leisure. Curator: "Chair back," how terribly pedestrian for such a spectacle! Rococo...Yes, you feel it, right? That dizzying sweetness? The over-the-top abundance of flowers and frills. To think it's all been rendered in fiber…astonishing. Editor: Think about who this kind of embellishment was for—the elite, shielded from the harsh realities of the time. That mandolin there hints at music, at elaborate courtly entertainments. Curator: True! It’s funny how objects become charged, right? Looking at it now, it feels almost saccharine. You almost expect the silk roses to start releasing their scent. There is something to be said for sheer, unadulterated beauty. Editor: I hear you, but I can't separate this beauty from the power structures that created it. Those lavish floral arrangements speak volumes about a society obsessed with appearances and, let's face it, with inequality. Textiles like this reinforce social status. Curator: You’ve certainly given me pause… And the weave work alone – what story could we weave about craft labor?! There is something to admire in the execution, though. In that detail, and that lush composition, one can find delight, perhaps defiance, still, now. Editor: Perhaps. Seeing it now prompts a reflection on value—not just aesthetic, but social and political value, too. Art makes visible that which we’ve forgotten to ask. Curator: Right. And maybe, by seeing the contrast, by understanding its contradictions, we can begin to build something of beauty, with greater intentionality than ever before. Editor: Here's hoping that, with care and renewed vision, such "chair backs" help us turn and face the issues of the times and places to come.