Cabinet-top Desk Secretary 1937

Editor: Here we have Ferdinand Cartier’s "Cabinet-top Desk Secretary" from 1937, rendered in pencil and charcoal. It’s quite a stately piece; I'm struck by its elegance and almost imposing presence. How should we approach understanding this artwork? Curator: Well, let’s consider the context. The 1930s witnessed the rise of industrial design and the streamlining aesthetic. How does this highly ornamented, almost baroque piece, relate to the machine age's ethos? Editor: That’s interesting; I see it as an assertion of craftsmanship, almost a rejection of mass production. Does it reflect anxieties about changing social structures, perhaps a longing for older hierarchies? Curator: Exactly! It’s a drawing, so it is removed from being functional design. Ask yourself: For whom was this ideal furniture being designed? These designs were often intended for the aspiring middle classes wanting a piece of an imagined noble past. What purpose do you think such designs played in solidifying societal views and social status through visual culture? Editor: I never thought about that, this type of piece in many ways reasserts classicism during a modernist revolution. But in what capacity? Perhaps as aspirational objects. Curator: Precisely. It's less about functionality and more about signifying a certain cultivated taste. These designs functioned as symbols within a complex system of social positioning, making furniture political. Editor: I can see that, each carefully crafted piece reinforces a visual language of social distinction. I think that adds a layer of complexity to my interpretation. Thanks! Curator: Indeed. Seeing the aesthetic value alongside these design's impact through a socio-historical perspective will give new lenses for us to engage with.