Design for Square Pianoforte, Louis Quatorze Style 1835 - 1900

Curator: We're looking at a design, "Design for Square Pianoforte, Louis Quatorze Style," created sometime between 1835 and 1900 by Robert William Hume. It’s currently housed here at the Met. Editor: The elegance jumps right out! It’s a sketch, a bit faded, with a ghostly, ornate quality. There’s something melancholic about it, like a forgotten dance. Curator: It’s ink and print on paper, showcasing a highly decorative square piano. It's clearly inspired by the Louis Quatorze style, known for its opulence. The detailed pen work captures every swirl and flourish. I wonder how many hours went into drafting each of those intricate embellishments. Editor: Absolutely, the details are the key. Consider the craft of translating this into a physical object. Think about the selection of woods, the carving process, the workers breathing in sawdust, the layers of lacquer, the societal aspiration driving that level of production—luxury as labor made visible. It really highlights the confluence of art, design, and social structures of the period. Curator: And how playing music itself becomes part of that social theatre. Imagine a musician perched there, their fingers dancing across the keys, sound filling a gilded room. Editor: That’s beautiful, and it makes me think of access and power. Who owned these instruments, who commissioned them? These designs are really records of material culture, displaying the relationship between production and consumption during this era, reminding us how commodities often mask their origins. Curator: Perhaps it’s a bit of both—a performance of artistry and power, yes, but also a testament to human creativity. Editor: Indeed! I suppose for me, this drawing connects directly to broader systems of labor and commerce. A little sketch contains so much. Curator: It seems to be whispering a symphony of aspirations. A perfect, bittersweet resonance as we look forward.