Canapé, stoel en fauteuil 1885 - 1895

Léon Laroche designed this print of a canapé, chair, and armchair. It was intended for a young girl's bedroom. Prints like this circulated widely, allowing access to design ideas irrespective of social class, as the production of images became industrialized. In nineteenth century France, the bourgeois family developed a strong sense of the importance of distinct gender roles. Girls, like the furniture designed for their private space, were expected to be delicate, ornamental, and pure. The frills and light colors chosen reflect this social expectation. The print’s title suggests an understanding of the domestic sphere as a space defined by strict rules of gender and class. This was a period when gender roles were being increasingly codified and performed, and domestic objects played a key role in the construction of identity. Consider how the design of domestic objects, and the spaces they occupy, reflect and shape our understanding of ourselves and others.