Folding stool (pliant) (one of a pair) 1786

Curator: Oh, what an exquisite little thing. The scale of this "Folding stool (pliant)," made around 1786 by Jean-Baptiste-Claude Sené, strikes me immediately. There’s an almost jewel-like quality to it. Editor: It’s certainly got presence. That salmon-colored cushion practically glows, doesn't it? And the meticulous detail of the gilded wood base—talk about a commitment to adornment. One almost hesitates to think it was ever meant to be sat upon, but a throne of rest for a noble butt, maybe? Curator: Absolutely. Can you imagine the skill it would take to create those delicate tassels? And the gold leafing highlighting every curve...it makes the object glow from the bottom up. This is high-level decorative art operating within the fashionable dictates of neoclassicism. Editor: Looking closely, though, I can't help but think of the intense labor involved. Someone, or rather, many someones, would have meticulously carved and gilded those wooden supports. From sourcing the raw materials—the wood, the dyes—to the very end, there is that relationship between production and leisure. Curator: That is definitely the story this object implies, a moment in time that values delicacy of craftsmanship alongside a particular expression of class. Editor: And look at how cleverly Sené integrates the decorative carving into the structural elements. The legs themselves are adorned with foliage. The whole design marries practicality with pure visual delight, doesn't it? One can imagine a wealthy aristocrat, oblivious of those many labor hours it represents, breezily unfolding it for a moment's rest. Curator: The lions paw feet add a touch of whimsy and grounded elegance, it creates a moment that invites me into an era of opulence and beauty, but it's still balanced by these rather serious lines. It all feels strangely precious. Editor: I'm left thinking about what it meant to produce such intricate pieces for a society teetering on the brink of revolution. Such refined making existing beside immense labor. The object almost pulses with that tension. Curator: For me, this little stool becomes a meditation on refinement, craft, and, in its small, sturdy way, beauty. Editor: It leaves me considering art as not separate from work, a vision perhaps truer of its moment. A gorgeous seat bought from labor and material.