Armstoel, onderdeel van een divan de milieu c. 1852

Editor: So here we have "Armstoel, onderdeel van een divan de milieu," or Armchair, part of a settee. It's from around 1852, by the Horrix Brothers. The materials listed are wood and textile. It strikes me as incredibly ornate, but almost faded in its grandeur. What aspects of this piece do you find most compelling? Curator: I am particularly interested in the production and materials. We can see the exploitation of resources during this era, through the lavish use of possibly imported hardwoods and the intricate textile work, probably reliant on underpaid labor. It asks us to consider the social conditions that made such furniture possible. Editor: That's a good point. It's easy to get lost in the details of the carving, without thinking about where that wood came from or who crafted it. Curator: Exactly. Think about the transportation, the workshops. Was the upholstery done in-house or outsourced? Each step involved a network of labor and commerce, often hidden from the final consumer, obscuring the making of. The Rococo revival style romanticizes a lifestyle enabled by capital and a globalizing world. Editor: It definitely gives a different perspective on decorative art, looking beyond just aesthetics. It makes me consider the whole system behind something seemingly simple like an armchair. Curator: Precisely. And that consideration pushes back against notions of ‘high art’ versus ‘craft’, instead viewing them as interconnected aspects of a material culture shaped by complex socio-economic forces. Editor: Thanks for the different perspective. I didn't think of it that way. It’s a lot to consider. Curator: Indeed, seeing art and furniture as material outcomes forces us to look at production, challenging idealized narratives of art history.