Settee, Walnut c. 1937

Geoffrey Holt, who lived between 1855 and 1995, made this watercolor on paper drawing of a walnut settee. The design of the settee, with its curved lines and plush upholstery, evokes the late Victorian era, a time of great social change and industrial growth. The settee itself, as a piece of furniture, speaks to the evolving domestic sphere. The rise of the middle class led to changes in home interiors, with an emphasis on comfort, display, and the segregation of public and private spaces. The settee, placed in a parlor or drawing room, became a focal point for social interaction and the display of wealth. Holt’s meticulous rendering of the settee allows us to consider the social and economic factors that shaped its production and consumption, something art historians might explore using archival records and design catalogs.