Room from a hotel in the Cours d'Albret, Bordeaux 1780 - 1790

This room from a hotel in the Cours d'Albret, Bordeaux, was created by Barthélemy Cabirol in the 18th century. Here, light and shadow play across symbols of wealth and leisure. Look at the delicate arabesques adorning the walls – these flowing, plant-like forms echo motifs found in ancient Roman frescoes, reborn here in a dance of Rococo elegance. Consider the card table, prominently displayed. Card games, symbols of chance and social interaction, appear throughout art history from medieval woodcuts to Renaissance paintings, each time reflecting a society's shifting attitudes toward fortune and leisure. This pursuit of fleeting pleasure, the excitement and anxiety of the game, touch something primal within us. The pursuit of leisure resurfaces through the ages, each time subtly transformed, yet echoing humanity’s timeless desires and anxieties.