Pedestal 1650 - 1699

Editor: This piece is a late 17th-century wooden pedestal, created by André Charles Boulle. It has beautiful Baroque carvings on the sides and scrolled feet. There is an unmistakable feeling of wealth and power embedded in the ornate style. What can you tell me about how social class may relate to its creation and appreciation? Curator: Good observation! The Baroque style itself, particularly as seen in decorative arts like this, was instrumental in visually solidifying social hierarchies. Consider the context: late 17th century Europe. Think about the concentration of power and wealth in the hands of the aristocracy and the monarchy. Objects like this pedestal, intended for display, acted as tangible expressions of status and influence. How do you think this kind of ostentatious display resonated, or perhaps grated, with those outside the privileged class? Editor: I suppose it would underscore their exclusion. I imagine that experiencing the inequity on a daily basis must have caused some resentment, as Baroque decorative art could represent a physical manifestation of privilege. I guess I had not considered decorative arts like this as a site for resistance. Curator: Precisely! Understanding art history through this lens enables us to examine not just artistic skill but also the ways in which power is communicated and negotiated through material culture. How might studying art like this inform contemporary discussions about wealth inequality? Editor: Well, this object reveals the past’s influence. Maybe considering its historical roots could push people to interrogate the assumptions about status and worth that continue today. Curator: Indeed! It is objects like these that can give us an opening for discussions about inequality. It underscores the long history of these issues. Editor: I never thought of it that way! That perspective gives me a whole new appreciation for art history and its social implications!