Commode en toilettafel 1784 - 1785

This print shows two designs for toilet tables, made by de Saint-Morien. The attention to detail in the drawing provides a sense of the finished surfaces: presumably highly polished wood, perhaps inlaid, with woven cane panels and delicate neoclassical ornament. Such refined surfaces would have required the labor of many hands, from the felling and milling of the timber, to the specialized carving, joinery, and finishing. The designs themselves demonstrate an understanding of ergonomics, and the way a fashionable lady would use these furnishings. Note the mirrors, drawers, and various compartments for cosmetics. The commode and table shown here represent more than just furniture; they were stage sets for daily rituals of grooming, and potent symbols of class, taste and the good life in pre-Revolutionary France. Recognizing the labor, materials, and social context embedded in these objects allows us to appreciate their full cultural significance, blurring the lines between design, craft, and social history.