Tekenvoorbeelden van Romeinse meubels 1820 - 1833

Jean Augustin Daiwaille created this drawing, "Tekenvoorbeelden van Romeinse meubels," a study of Roman furniture, using pen and paper. Daiwaille's work invites us to reflect on the layers of cultural appropriation inherent in Neoclassicism. As Europe grappled with its identity in the wake of revolution and empire, Roman aesthetics became a visual language through which power and authority were expressed. But, this wasn't a neutral adoption. It was steeped in the colonial and patriarchal structures of the 19th century. The furniture Daiwaille depicts – the lamp, stool, bed, and candelabra - speaks to the intimate spaces of domestic life, raising questions about who had access to such comforts and who was excluded. How did gender, class, and race factor into the experience of dwelling in these spaces? By examining the circulation and adaptation of classical motifs, we can better understand the complex interplay between art, identity, and power.