Daybed (Lit de repos or sultane) (part of a set) 1788

Jean-Baptiste-Claude Sené created this daybed, or "lit de repos," with gilded wood during the late 18th century. Its refined elegance is immediately striking, inviting both visual pleasure and tactile delight. The delicate floral patterns of the upholstery play against the rigid symmetry of the frame. The gilding offers more than mere ornamentation; it serves as a structural element, articulating the relationship between form and function. The gilt bronze embellishments enhance the woodwork, creating a semiotic interplay between opulence and restraint. The careful arrangement of these elements disrupts the traditional separation between the aesthetic and the practical. This daybed invites us to reconsider conventional notions of comfort and utility. It challenges the idea of furniture as purely functional, instead presenting it as a space for re-interpretation and ongoing dialogue about the relationship between art, life, and leisure.