Design for a Curved-back Sofa Upholstered in Red 1800 - 1850

This design for a curved-back sofa, upholstered in red, was rendered with pen, ink, and watercolor on paper. It elegantly marries utility with decoration. The drawing details a highly ornamental piece. Notice the gilded, carved wood frame which would have required considerable skill to execute. The deep red upholstery is smooth, suggesting a plush velvet or satin. But even in rendering it in two dimensions, there is a clear sense of the labor required, not only for the frame but for the tightly stretched fabric and the careful joinery between all the components. Consider, too, the social context for which such a piece would have been created. This sofa speaks to the fashion for luxurious domestic display, and a culture of conspicuous consumption. The design challenges the modern notion of function dictating form, revealing instead the aspirations and ideals embedded in domestic objects.