Buffetkast after 1878

This print of a buffet cabinet was made in Paris in 1856. It gives us an insight into the public role of furniture design at this time. The print comes from a series titled 'Le Magasin de Meubles', or 'The Furniture Store', and was published by V.L. Quetin. The purpose of publications like this was to illustrate fashionable furniture to a broad audience. In the 19th century, design became increasingly democratized through industrial production, yet taste was still dictated by institutions like design magazines and department stores. We can see how the buffet would have been an aspirational item for middle-class Parisians looking to emulate the fashions of the elite. These sorts of images provide valuable resources for understanding the social and institutional context in which furniture design flourished. They are particularly helpful when trying to understand shifts in taste, class, and the politics of imagery.