Table 1689

This table was made by Pieter de Loose. Its dimensions are 83.5 cm high, 145.0 cm wide, and 88.0 cm deep. Imagine this table placed in the home of a wealthy European family. We can feel the opulence of the baroque period, where artistry was not just about beauty but also about displaying one's status and power. This aesthetic was fueled by colonialism and the expansion of global trade, and the exploitation of labor and resources from colonized lands. The table is decorated with cherubs, ram heads, and floral garlands. The cherubs act as both decoration and symbol, representing innocence, divinity, and a connection to the classical past, a world in which male bodies were celebrated. This contrasts sharply with the realities of gender and class at the time, where access to beauty, education, and power was limited. This piece challenges us to consider whose stories are told through art and whose are left out.