Twee banken 1895

Here we see two designs for benches, made in France, during the time of Louis XVI. It’s a simple print, but it opens up a wider discussion about the role of design and luxury in pre-revolutionary France. These benches, meant for the homes of the aristocracy, reflect a culture of elaborate consumption and refinement. The Louis XVI style, with its clean lines and classical references, was seen as the height of elegance. But, it was also a symbol of the vast inequalities in French society. The culture of courtly life revolved around the display of wealth and status, supported by the labor of the Third Estate. Historians use archival sources, like these design prints, to understand the tastes and values of different social classes, and we can find in them the seeds of social change and revolution. We can begin to ask, was art complicit in propping up an unfair society, or did it offer the hope of something more equitable?