Armchair 1786 - 1791

This armchair was created by Beauvais. Its elaborate tapestry and gilded frame are testaments to the culture of aristocratic luxury. The chair’s design aesthetic comes from the Neoclassical movement that drew inspiration from antiquity to signal a return to order and reason. The tapestry on the back panel depicts two seated Roman figures in a moment of contemplation. Though these figures present an idealized, gendered view of Roman virtue, the artist gives them a softness that brings them to life. The seat is embroidered with a pastoral scene. This armchair might have been part of a larger decorative program intended to communicate the owner's status. It reflects a society in which art and everyday objects were used to create and maintain social boundaries, yet it invites us to imagine the intimate lives of those who once sat here.