Canapé after 1878

Editor: Here we have "Canapé," a watercolor drawing and print made after 1878, attributed to an anonymous artist. It presents a lovely green sofa, meticulously detailed. What do you make of it? Curator: It’s fascinating to consider this object as a representation of materialized desire. The rendering itself, a print and watercolor, speaks to production and dissemination. Rather than being a singular art object, it's an image designed for wider circulation. We must ask: who was the intended consumer of this image? Editor: It feels like an advertisement. So, was this meant for furniture makers or potential clients? Curator: Precisely! And this is where the materiality comes in. The elaborate fringe, the patterned trim... It hints at the immense labor involved in producing such luxury, and invites discussion on the economic structures underpinning decorative art. Does this shift your understanding? Editor: Definitely. I initially saw just a pretty couch. Now I am also considering all of the labor and social factors behind this image, and behind the object it represents. Curator: And consider, too, the source of the pigments for the watercolor, the process of printmaking. Everything points to material and processes of production intertwined with social status and aesthetic taste. Where do you think that leads us? Editor: It connects this "Canapé" to broader discussions about the cultural values assigned to material objects. Thank you – this really reshapes how I look at even seemingly simple pieces like this! Curator: Indeed. It urges us to constantly question the means through which we produce, consume, and assign value within a capitalist structure.