Twee stoelen met dichte armleuningen 1745 - 1775

This print, titled 'Two chairs with closed armrests', was made by an anonymous artist. The print depicts two ornately decorated chairs, each designed with a specific purpose in mind. During the time this print was made, furniture was deeply intertwined with social status. These chairs, intended for the convalescent and the boudoir, symbolize the performative aspects of 18th-century aristocratic life. They reflect a culture where leisure and self-care were elevated to an art form, and where even the act of resting was carefully designed and curated. The chair on the left, labeled "Convalescente," was meant for someone recovering from illness. Notice how it offers a comforting, enveloping embrace. The "Boudoir" chair on the right, was designed for a woman's private dressing room, a space dedicated to beauty rituals and intimate conversations. The image encapsulates how the design of everyday objects can reinforce gendered expectations, and how personal spaces can be quietly shaped by broader societal norms. Consider the emotional life of those who inhabited these chairs, caught between genuine rest and the watchful gaze of society.