Bed en stoelen 1784 - 1796

Jean Baptiste Fay made this print of a bed and chairs in France. This design for furniture is replete with the visual codes of classical antiquity: the headboard is decorated with classical busts, festooned garlands decorate the bed itself, and the drapery is reminiscent of a Roman toga. This neoclassical style was fashionable throughout Europe at the time. France was at the forefront of this style, largely thanks to its royal academies. The academies shaped French taste in the 17th and 18th centuries, ensuring French art promoted the values of the monarchy. However, as we approach the French Revolution, we see a shift in style. The classical allusions in this print speak to the revolutionary ideals of democracy, which were often figured as a return to the values of the ancient world. As art historians, we can examine this print, along with other visual and textual sources, to better understand how the classical style expressed the values of the French Revolution.