Exhibition labels & didactics - National Gallery of Victoria
Exhibition labels & didactics - National Gallery of Victoria Exhibition labels & didactics - National Gallery of Victoria
196 FRANCE Bed Lit Empire period 1804–15 Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), gilt bronze Les Arts Décoratifs, musée des Arts décoratifs, Paris inv. 8584 The lit bateau, or boat bed, named for the profile created by the scrolled head and foot, was the most characteristic bed of the Empire period. These spectacular objects sat side-on to the wall, frequently upon a low dais, and were usually crowned with textile canopies. The grandest examples were adorned with gilt bronze mounts depicting emblems of symbolic significance. The mounts on this example include the star of glory, palmettes representing victory, and draped spirits bearing torches, emblematic of night and sleep. © COPYRIGHT This document remains the property of the National Gallery of Victoria and must be returned upon request. Reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited without written authorisation.
Pierre-Étienne BUTEUX French 1772–1837 or Jean-Charles Marie BUTEUX French 1778–1848 Psyché, mirror Miroir, Psyché c. 1814 Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), gilt bronze, mirror glass Les Arts Décoratifs, musée des Arts décoratifs, Paris Bequeathed by Max Beulé, 1918 inv. 20861 The Psyché – a full-length swing mirror named for the beautiful young mythological figure – was the most radical innovation in Empire furniture design. Technical advances in glass production meant that, for the first time, a full-length reflection of the human form could be seen. The heroic nude was a key element of the Empire style’s classically inspired decorative vocabulary; now the inhabitants of fashionable interiors could see their own naked bodies in the company of the mythological nudes adorning their decorative interiors. 197 © COPYRIGHT This document remains the property of the National Gallery of Victoria and must be returned upon request. Reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited without written authorisation.
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Pierre-Étienne BUTEUX<br />
French 1772–1837<br />
or<br />
Jean-Charles Marie BUTEUX<br />
French 1778–1848<br />
Psyché, mirror<br />
Miroir, Psyché<br />
c. 1814<br />
Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), gilt bronze, mirror glass<br />
Les Arts Décoratifs,<br />
musée des Arts décoratifs, Paris<br />
Bequeathed by Max Beulé, 1918 inv. 20861<br />
The Psyché – a full-length swing mirror<br />
named for the beautiful young mythological<br />
figure – was the most radical innovation in<br />
Empire furniture design. Technical advances<br />
in glass production meant that, for the first<br />
time, a full-length reflection <strong>of</strong> the human<br />
form could be seen. The heroic nude was a<br />
key element <strong>of</strong> the Empire style’s classically<br />
inspired decorative vocabulary; now the<br />
inhabitants <strong>of</strong> fashionable interiors could<br />
see their own naked bodies in the company<br />
<strong>of</strong> the mythological nudes adorning their<br />
decorative interiors.<br />
197<br />
© COPYRIGHT<br />
This document remains the property <strong>of</strong> the <strong>National</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Victoria</strong> and must be returned upon request. Reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited without written authorisation.
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