There is usually a very sharp divide between my school life and my home life.  Being an art history major, I go to class and learn about art, or I go to a museum and look at art, but very rarely do I experience art without having to seek it out.  Therefore, it was very disconcerting when I saw this:

“A couch?” one might ask.  Yes, a couch, but a couch that looks almost exactly like those invented and popularized during the Enlightenment era.  These couches are made for sitting and lounging and resting.  The one above, spotted at the house of a family friend, is indeed quite comfortable.

Ignore its surroundings and its fabric, and focus on the essentials.  What do you see? Smooth, undulating lines.  Plump cushions.  Supportive back. Little rests for the arms, protecting them from the hard wooden surface.  Aside from its unflinching symmetry, this couch is seeped in the Rococo, and little lions paws support its weight. 

Before this class I had never thought about why so called “traditional” or “antique” furniture looks the way it does, or why those changes came about. It makes sense that the creation and commercialization of true comfort would be remembered and venerated to the present day.

Below I’ve included a couple of images from the Met’s collection for comparison: