Happy Valentine's Day!

For Valentine's Day, we thought we would share an addition to the SEAA reading room. This mid-19th century cabinet in a Dutch Renaissance style, made of carved chestnut and fruit-wood, it is 57" wide by 70" high. We loaned it to Newcomb Art Museum for their "Empire" exhibition in 2018, and when it was returned in early February, we thought we would have it placed in our reading room, instead of the storage room it had been kept in. It was a gift of Albert Lieutaud, and was apparently used in the family's dining room in their New Orleans home.

There are biblical themes in the carvings, visions of hell, and wonderful buxom maidens throughout (note the maid holding her heart). This piece makes for some interesting conversations during our class tours, and gives a bit of je ne sais quoi to our Ikea furnishings...

Happy Valentine's Day!