Settee 1873 - 1885

Curator: My initial reaction to this Settee is… unexpected. There’s a strange rigidity to it, a geometric severity that almost feels inhospitable. Editor: It is a fascinating piece. This settee was created by George Jakob Hunzinger, an American furniture maker, sometime between 1873 and 1885. You can currently find it here at the Metropolitan Museum. It is constructed of wood, and that open, woven design uses mixed media to explore shape, pattern, and dimension. Curator: The symmetry is quite pronounced; the repetition of the circular elements along the back… almost like eyes staring out. Is it meant to convey surveillance? Or a sense of watchfulness in the domestic sphere? Editor: The interplay between solid form and empty space definitely activates the negative space around the piece, but I hesitate to ascribe such a direct symbolic weight. For me, the interest lies in the rigorous application of geometric principles, the careful modulation of line and plane. Consider the vertical thrust of the legs against the horizontal expanse of the seat, balanced by the rhythm of the woven panels. Curator: But form is never divorced from its potential function in culture. The hard angles, the almost cage-like structure of the back—it all speaks to a very particular era, perhaps a sense of social constraint and the strictures placed upon behavior and identity. It invites speculation as to the roles people played in the Victorian era. Editor: While I acknowledge that external cultural factors undoubtedly shaped Hunzinger’s artistic choices, I believe it's crucial not to overlook his deliberate formal strategies. The textures created by the weave contrast beautifully with the smooth, dark wood, adding tactile complexity. Curator: True. But to truly consider a chair we have to consider what a chair has come to mean throughout art and design. The material and the pattern create that sensation. In my reading, the hard materials are also meant to create a distinct separation. Consider also where people place objects. The Settee must command an important position within the architecture it is set in, no? Editor: Well, I’ve come to appreciate Hunzinger’s experimentation with material contrast here. It is this experimentation that has cemented my interpretation of this piece.