Armchair (part of a set) 1775 - 1795

Editor: This beautiful "Armchair," part of a set, crafted around 1775-1795 by Georges Jacob. It’s currently housed here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I’m struck by its boldness – the vibrant red velvet against that gilded wood. It just screams opulence, right? How would you interpret such a statement piece? Curator: Opulence indeed! It's less a chair and more a throne for everyday life, isn’t it? Think about the world this came from - late 18th century France. You see that almost aggressively ornate Baroque style wrestling with the playful curves of Rococo? Jacob's practically shouting "Status!" The red velvet isn't just color, it’s a symbol – power, wealth, maybe even a hint of revolution brewing beneath all that luxurious cushioning. It's beautiful, certainly, but is it also… anxious? Editor: Anxious? That’s not something I would have immediately associated with the chair! But thinking about the French Revolution starting not long after, maybe it foreshadows some sort of doom to come for the ones who might sit on that throne… Curator: Precisely. Consider how the carving catches light, those little flourishes on the legs. Every detail is demanding attention, fighting for its place. I look at it and I see someone trying so hard to preserve the old world order that it all looks about ready to topple. It's like a beautiful scream. Editor: It's really shifted my perspective, to be honest! I saw extravagance, but I missed the tension, that feeling of everything maybe being a bit too much… Curator: That's the joy of looking closely, isn't it? Finding the hidden story humming beneath the surface of something beautiful. And realizing furniture can be far more than just, well, furniture. Editor: Exactly, there is so much going on beyond just red and gold and a fancy design. I’ll definitely see armchairs in a different light going forward.