Armchair 1786 - 1791

This armchair, made by the Beauvais manufactory, combines gilded wood and tapestry. Note the contrast between the rigid, classical lines of the frame, ornamented with carved acanthus leaves, and the soft, yielding textile panels. The tapestry work would have been hugely labor-intensive, woven on a low-warp loom. The weavers at Beauvais were highly skilled, translating painterly designs into the language of thread. This particular design, with its pastoral scenes and allegorical figures, speaks to the aristocratic tastes of the period. But there's another story here too: the immense amount of work required to produce such an object. Think of the weavers, working long hours, and the other artisans involved in creating the frame. This chair is not just an object of beauty; it is also a testament to the social relations of production in the 18th century. It blurs the boundaries between art, craft, and industry.