• How is this bed like other beds you might have seen? In what way is the bed like your own? In what way is it different?
• Who do you think this bed might have been made for?
• This bed is made in the Neoclassical style, which looks to ancient Greece and Rome for inspiration. What elements can you find on the bed that recall ancient Greece or Rome?
• How is repetition used in the design of this bed? What patterns do you see repeated across it?
• Is the bed symmetrical or asymmetrical? How can you tell?
• The bed was originally covered in yellow silk, but the original fabrics—now too old and fragile to be displayed—had to be replaced. How do you think the change in the color affects the way you feel about the bed? How would the bed look different if other colors were chosen?
• At the time this bed was built, it was the custom to receive guests in the bedroom. Why do you think people would have received guests in the bedroom? What might they have been trying to show off in the bedroom? What room of your home do you take guests into today? |
This bed would have been the centerpiece of a bedroom in a palace or mansion. While the front of the bed is lavishly decorated, the back of the canopy on the bed has no decoration at all, indicating that it would have been set in a shallow niche in the wall. The bed has handles on its sides and would have originally been set on casters so that it could be pulled out and made up. In the 18th century, bedrooms were not only used for sleep, but would also have been the place where a wealthy host might receive guests. For the wealthy, the bedroom was the showplace for expensive upholstery and hangings, and beds would have been one of the most expensive items in the home.
The frame of the bed is made from carved and gilded wood, with designs of paired acorns, fruit-filled cornucopias, and floral swags. The canopy is also carved with laurel wreaths and floral trophies. "Lit à la Polonaise" translates from French into English as "Polish-style bed" and refers to a type of bed with curved iron bars hidden by curtains that support the canopy.
The bed was originally upholstered with yellow silk designed with swans, pheasants, and peacocks. We don't know the names of the French carver or the craftsmen who created this bed, but we do know that the pattern of the original fabric was created by the silk designer and weaver Phillipe de Lasalle for the Empress Catherine II of Russia in 1772. The upholstery and hangings seen on the bed today are modern, but their patterns are in keeping with the Neoclassical style of the bed. It is richly decorated with passementerie, or trimming, such as tassels, rosettes, and decorative fringe work.
Watch a video about the conservation project to bring this bed back to life.
 Conservation: Dec Arts (5:17)
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