Sofa (canapé à confidents) 1760 - 1770

Editor: This is the "Sofa (canapé à confidents)," made around 1760-1770. It's currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and attributed to Jean-Jacques Pothier, boasting a mix of wood, textile, and gold. It feels almost decadent, especially the intricate floral pattern in the textile and the swirling gold accents. What aspects of its production or materiality stand out to you? Curator: The opulence is definitely by design. Consider the division of labor required to create this piece. You have the skills of the ébéniste for the wooden frame, the expertise of the weaver for the textile, the gilder for the gold leaf application – all separate workshops, likely operating under different guild regulations. How do those divisions reflect the social structure of the time? Editor: That’s a good point! It makes you wonder about the individual artisans who actually made it, they're almost invisible behind the "name" of Pothier. What kind of consumer was buying this? Curator: Precisely! It’s furniture designed for the elite, a symbol of their status and wealth. The materials themselves, the gold, the fine textile, speak to a culture of conspicuous consumption. Look closely at the Rococo style – all those curves and flourishes. What does that aesthetic choice suggest about the values of that society? What statement is it making in the context of 18th century France? Editor: Maybe that luxury was its own statement of power, and sophistication? Curator: Indeed. Each element, each material decision, reveals something about the social and economic forces at play during its creation. Considering who had access to this luxury provides context for how wealth was circulated, displayed, and controlled. Editor: That makes me see it completely differently, not just as a pretty object but a complex reflection of the world that produced it. Thanks! Curator: It’s about more than just aesthetics; it's about the network of materials, skills, and social hierarchies that converge in this one extravagant object.