Buffetkast 1885 - 1895

Curator: Here we have “Buffetkast” by Léon Laroche, likely created between 1885 and 1895. It's a print, showcasing a buffet or cabinet. Editor: It immediately strikes me as something of an aspirational image. A kind of imposing elegance. Curator: Precisely! As a print, it would have been relatively inexpensive to produce and widely circulated. This allowed workshops to show examples of fine cabinetmaking that clients might select, thereby enabling potential patrons from a broad social strata to contemplate luxury goods. Editor: I see those cartouches, those central panels surrounded by baroque-style scrollwork, everywhere, offering little containers of symbolic significance! Tell me, what story do these circles want to tell? Curator: Well, this cabinet appears to be referencing the Louis XIII style, prevalent centuries earlier. We have these bold curves and flourishes, even down to those bun feet. It suggests a cultural memory and maybe the buyer would find historical or social credibility. Editor: Looking closely at the rendering, I wonder about the materials employed to realize this design, and to whose tastes and pocketbook this piece speaks to? Are the potential owners concerned more about functionality, prestige, fashion, or historical fidelity? And from where are they sourcing the labor, and materials? Curator: All crucial considerations. Perhaps our potential buyer is part of the upwardly mobile middle class who yearns to decorate their parlors in a way that subtly communicates refined values, regardless of utility. We shouldn't forget, this image might also appeal to aristocratic clients looking to commission something for country houses! Editor: Intriguing… so much contained within an image of something meant to contain! I see aspiration and class all bound up in its careful composition. Curator: A fantastic encapsulation of design and manufacturing for the modernizing home. Editor: Quite right, offering so many possibilities.