Chest of Drawers c. 1937

Francis Law Durand made this chest of drawers, rendered in delicate strokes, not merely as furniture but as a vessel of cultural memory. Notice the recurring motif of the drawer pulls, stylized in a form reminiscent of acanthus leaves. This ornamental flourish, echoing classical antiquity, speaks volumes. The acanthus, a symbol of endurance and rebirth, was not merely decorative. It evokes the Renaissance, when classical motifs resurfaced, embodying a longing for the harmony and order of the ancient world. Like an ancestral spirit, it appears across centuries, adorning Corinthian columns and medieval manuscripts. Such symbols are potent. They stir deep-seated emotions, triggering subconscious associations with past eras, rituals, and beliefs. The act of opening a drawer, guided by this ancient emblem, becomes more than a mundane task. The motifs, gestures and symbols have a non-linear, cyclical progression and resurface in different historical contexts.