TRANSKRIPTIO 🔗
1
00:00:00,830 --> 00:00:02,809
Announcer: This is
a Getty podcast.
2
00:00:02,809 --> 00:00:04,122
[Theme music begins]
3
00:00:04,895 --> 00:00:08,230
Host: You might have heard a
bedtime story, but have you
4
00:00:08,285 --> 00:00:11,490
ever heard a bed tell a story?
5
00:00:12,672 --> 00:00:17,076
Welcome to If Objects Could
Talk, the podcast where art
6
00:00:17,136 --> 00:00:21,535
and artifacts come alive and
tell their side of the story.
7
00:00:22,198 --> 00:00:26,220
At the end of a long day,
I am ready to curl up with
8
00:00:26,362 --> 00:00:30,462
all my pillows and blankets,
and maybe even a few of my
9
00:00:30,471 --> 00:00:32,289
favorite stuffed animals.
10
00:00:32,494 --> 00:00:36,682
And people in the past were no
different, except some of their
11
00:00:36,702 --> 00:00:39,491
beds were quite a bit fancier.
12
00:00:39,491 --> 00:00:40,531
[Light classical music begins]
13
00:00:40,531 --> 00:00:41,663
Our guest today is a bed.
14
00:00:42,015 --> 00:00:44,665
Not just any bed,
a lit à la turque.
15
00:00:45,238 --> 00:00:48,756
That’s French, and we’ll let
her explain what it means.
16
00:00:49,199 --> 00:00:56,013
She was made in Paris between
1750 and 1760 by many, many
17
00:00:56,068 --> 00:00:57,406
different craftspeople.
18
00:00:57,714 --> 00:01:00,134
Who knew beds were
such hard work?
19
00:01:00,590 --> 00:01:04,233
Luckily, she knows a thing
or two about rest and
20
00:01:04,233 --> 00:01:08,303
recovery, and hopefully she
can stay awake long enough
21
00:01:08,329 --> 00:01:11,808
to share that with us.
22
00:01:11,808 --> 00:01:14,527
Bed: [deep, feminine
voice yawns] Oh, hello.
23
00:01:15,231 --> 00:01:16,842
Yes, I’m awake.
24
00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:18,899
Completely awake.
25
00:01:20,312 --> 00:01:24,655
I was just resting my eyes.
[yawns again]
26
00:01:24,655 --> 00:01:26,669
I am the lit à la turque.
27
00:01:27,315 --> 00:01:29,070
Lit, that’s French for bed.
28
00:01:29,491 --> 00:01:32,687
À la turque, that means
“in the Turkish style”.
29
00:01:33,140 --> 00:01:35,776
I guess I am here to
tell you a bedtime story.
30
00:01:35,776 --> 00:01:36,532
[Classical music plays]
31
00:01:36,532 --> 00:01:40,191
Once upon a time, there was a
handsome prince [man laughs]
32
00:01:40,191 --> 00:01:43,519
whose father gave him
three impossible tasks
33
00:01:43,519 --> 00:01:45,012
to prove himself worthy.
34
00:01:45,012 --> 00:01:46,741
[music abruptly ends]
Um, what’s this?
35
00:01:47,101 --> 00:01:49,145
I’m not sharing a bedtime story?
[voice whispers “nope”]
36
00:01:49,145 --> 00:01:51,119
I am telling a story about
37
00:01:51,134 --> 00:01:55,953
myself...the bed.
Oh, I am so sorry.
38
00:01:56,154 --> 00:01:57,939
[yawns] I’m just so sleepy.
39
00:01:59,137 --> 00:02:00,685
I must have misheard you.
40
00:02:01,054 --> 00:02:03,920
Well, what is there
to tell about me?
41
00:02:04,224 --> 00:02:05,414
I am a bed.
42
00:02:06,116 --> 00:02:08,513
Impressive and
gorgeous, to be certain.
43
00:02:09,312 --> 00:02:11,503
[bells chime] I am
unusually large, even
44
00:02:11,503 --> 00:02:12,694
for a bed of my time.
45
00:02:12,966 --> 00:02:16,163
I am so high off the ground that
you would have needed a small
46
00:02:16,173 --> 00:02:17,894
stool just to climb into me.
47
00:02:18,853 --> 00:02:22,695
My frame is beautifully
carved with all the swirls and
48
00:02:22,957 --> 00:02:25,249
flourishes of the Rococo style.
49
00:02:25,249 --> 00:02:25,978
[Classical music plays]
50
00:02:25,978 --> 00:02:29,206
Rococo was the great passion
of mid-18th century France,
51
00:02:29,358 --> 00:02:31,821
and it was all about an
abundance of elegance
52
00:02:31,924 --> 00:02:33,358
and the beauty of nature.
53
00:02:33,587 --> 00:02:36,668
My two ends scroll outward
like unfurling scrolls of
54
00:02:36,668 --> 00:02:40,603
paper, and that, actually,
is the reason I am called
55
00:02:40,787 --> 00:02:42,575
“in the Turkish style”.
56
00:02:43,607 --> 00:02:47,940
In the 1700s, anything that
seemed exotic was wildly
57
00:02:47,944 --> 00:02:49,204
fashionable in France.
58
00:02:49,590 --> 00:02:53,190
Turkey, China, Egypt,
all the rage.
59
00:02:53,241 --> 00:02:56,274
[voice says “Ooh la la”]
Craftsmen and designers loved to
60
00:02:56,274 --> 00:02:59,835
borrow shapes and feelings from
these distant lands
61
00:02:59,835 --> 00:03:03,327
to capture a sense of mystery,
luxury, and the faraway,
62
00:03:03,756 --> 00:03:05,679
like living in a fairy tale.
63
00:03:06,319 --> 00:03:09,654
I was designed to lie with my
back against the wall, like a
64
00:03:09,655 --> 00:03:12,322
very elegant sofa, but grander.
65
00:03:13,221 --> 00:03:15,253
Above me would have
hung a baldachin,
66
00:03:15,460 --> 00:03:16,721
that’s a fabric canopy.
67
00:03:17,388 --> 00:03:20,481
Textiles would hang from the
canopy and go to each side
68
00:03:20,481 --> 00:03:24,709
of the bed, making the whole
space feel more dramatic.
69
00:03:24,709 --> 00:03:29,660
[opera singing]
70
00:03:29,660 --> 00:03:32,679
My baldaquin
is gone now, sadly.
71
00:03:33,513 --> 00:03:36,822
Oh, but I still remember
the feeling of all
72
00:03:36,829 --> 00:03:38,238
that silk overhead.
73
00:03:38,748 --> 00:03:41,339
I also have large
wheels at my base.
74
00:03:41,487 --> 00:03:42,105
Practical.
75
00:03:42,381 --> 00:03:45,827
The servants would pull my
body out from the wall
76
00:03:45,827 --> 00:03:47,809
to make me up with
fresh linens while
77
00:03:47,810 --> 00:03:49,968
my tall back stayed in place.
78
00:03:50,125 --> 00:03:52,102
Then they’d push
me right back in.
79
00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:53,680
Neat as you please.
80
00:03:53,987 --> 00:03:54,653
Thank you.
81
00:03:55,892 --> 00:03:58,928
I loved being the center of
attention, and lucky for me,
82
00:03:58,938 --> 00:04:01,302
there were often guests.
[voices chatter]
83
00:04:01,302 --> 00:04:03,806
You know how at a
sleepover everyone
84
00:04:03,814 --> 00:04:06,932
stays up late whispering
and
Load full transcript
giggling in the dark?
85
00:04:07,686 --> 00:04:11,728
[giggles] Well, imagine a
sleepover, but in reverse.
86
00:04:11,728 --> 00:04:14,484
[child says “Huh?”] Instead
of late at night, all the
87
00:04:14,485 --> 00:04:17,247
fun happens first thing
in the morning. Friends
88
00:04:17,248 --> 00:04:20,254
arrive while you’re still
getting ready, doing hair,
89
00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:23,694
lacing dresses, picking out
the perfect accessories.
90
00:04:24,337 --> 00:04:25,704
[voices over low music]
Everyone is chatting and
91
00:04:25,704 --> 00:04:28,330
laughing, sharing gossip
from the night before.
92
00:04:29,013 --> 00:04:32,435
Hot chocolate is being
sipped, because in France,
93
00:04:32,504 --> 00:04:35,503
in those days, hot chocolate
wasn’t just a treat.
94
00:04:35,931 --> 00:04:38,554
It was how fashionable people
started their mornings.
95
00:04:38,990 --> 00:04:42,009
Can you imagine starting
every single morning that way?
96
00:04:42,135 --> 00:04:44,945
[child exclaims “Mmm!”]
And I was practically
97
00:04:44,948 --> 00:04:45,953
the guest of honor.
98
00:04:46,246 --> 00:04:49,402
[sighs] Of course,
not everything in
99
00:04:49,402 --> 00:04:50,618
life can be a party.
100
00:04:50,943 --> 00:04:52,840
Eventually, the
guests went home.
101
00:04:52,847 --> 00:04:53,388
[voices say goodbye] Thank
you very much for coming.
102
00:04:53,388 --> 00:04:54,568
The hot chocolate was finished.
103
00:04:54,597 --> 00:04:55,852
I’m so glad you could come.
104
00:04:55,852 --> 00:04:59,799
And then, bliss, sleep,
my very favorite.
105
00:04:59,799 --> 00:05:03,871
[lullaby music] Sleep is
very important, you know.
106
00:05:04,653 --> 00:05:07,864
You probably have a bedtime,
and with great fortune and
107
00:05:07,864 --> 00:05:10,797
care, you don’t wake up
until your alarm goes off.
108
00:05:11,207 --> 00:05:15,237
However, in 18th-century France,
people practiced something
109
00:05:15,237 --> 00:05:20,079
called biphasic sleep: bi,
meaning two; phasic, meaning
110
00:05:20,081 --> 00:05:22,999
phases, so two phases of sleep.
111
00:05:23,305 --> 00:05:26,448
They would have a first sleep
starting around dusk and then
112
00:05:26,448 --> 00:05:29,602
wake up around midnight [voice
yawns] to read, [page turns]
113
00:05:29,602 --> 00:05:32,530
to pray, [voice murmurs] to do
a spot of cleaning, [sweeps]
114
00:05:33,176 --> 00:05:35,167
to visit the neighbors.
[voices say hello]
115
00:05:35,167 --> 00:05:35,167
116
00:05:35,167 --> 00:05:38,361
Could you imagine waking in the
middle of the night to do your
117
00:05:38,366 --> 00:05:42,135
homework or clean your room, let
alone head to your neighbor’s
118
00:05:42,137 --> 00:05:43,623
house to borrow a cup of milk?
[voice says “No way.”]
119
00:05:43,623 --> 00:05:46,393
But for hundreds of
years, that
120
00:05:46,394 --> 00:05:49,756
is how people did it. [yawn]
Oh, are you getting sleepy?
121
00:05:49,756 --> 00:05:52,356
[voice says “Uh-huh.”] Talking
about sleep tends to do
that.
122
00:05:52,772 --> 00:05:54,768
Shall I tell you the
story of how I was made?
123
00:05:55,030 --> 00:05:58,167
It’s a long story, but I’ll
try to keep it brief so
124
00:05:58,169 --> 00:05:59,342
that you won’t fall asleep.
125
00:05:59,626 --> 00:06:01,284
That’s only charming
when I do it.
126
00:06:01,284 --> 00:06:02,360
[Classical music plays]
127
00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:04,596
A bed like me does
not simply appear.
128
00:06:04,858 --> 00:06:08,644
I was the work of many
hands—many very skilled, very
129
00:06:08,645 --> 00:06:11,224
particular, very serious hands.
130
00:06:11,772 --> 00:06:14,633
There was a menuisier—that’s
French for the woodworker.
131
00:06:15,044 --> 00:06:18,400
Mine was Monsieur Jean-Baptiste
Tilliard, a master and
132
00:06:18,405 --> 00:06:19,858
head of his own workshop.
133
00:06:20,267 --> 00:06:22,950
In his workshop,
my frame was built.
134
00:06:22,994 --> 00:06:25,411
[hammering and sawing]
But Monsieur Tilliard
135
00:06:25,416 --> 00:06:27,577
and his team could not
do everything themselves.
136
00:06:27,729 --> 00:06:28,565
Oh, no.
137
00:06:28,806 --> 00:06:31,768
In Paris at this time,
furniture making was governed
138
00:06:31,768 --> 00:06:33,784
by the guilds, groups
of craftsmen
139
00:06:33,784 --> 00:06:36,751
with very strict rules about
who was allowed to do what.
140
00:06:37,453 --> 00:06:40,558
And so I passed through
many, many hands.
141
00:06:40,965 --> 00:06:44,109
There was a sculpteur, the
sculptor, who carved the
142
00:06:44,109 --> 00:06:45,729
elaborate ornament on my frame.
[sawing]
143
00:06:46,135 --> 00:06:49,733
The acanthus leaves,
the flowing curves, each
144
00:06:49,734 --> 00:06:53,558
one cut by hand, one careful
chisel stroke at a time.
145
00:06:54,101 --> 00:06:56,626
Then came the
doreur, the gilder.
146
00:06:57,467 --> 00:06:59,573
[chimes] Gilding means
applying a thin layer
147
00:06:59,573 --> 00:07:01,323
of gold to a surface.
148
00:07:01,782 --> 00:07:05,018
My frame was first covered in
a special paint called gesso
149
00:07:05,118 --> 00:07:08,090
to smooth it, [paint sloshing]
and then the doreur would
150
00:07:08,090 --> 00:07:11,784
go back over every carved
detail and sharpen it up again
151
00:07:11,796 --> 00:07:13,099
before applying the gold.
152
00:07:13,486 --> 00:07:17,479
All of that done by
hand, by eye, by feel.
153
00:07:17,830 --> 00:07:21,119
And then my very
favorite, the tapissier.
154
00:07:21,445 --> 00:07:25,723
Say it with me, tap-ee-see-ay,
the upholsterer, the person
155
00:07:25,725 --> 00:07:29,452
responsible for my cushions,
my padding, my fabric.
156
00:07:30,189 --> 00:07:33,178
Fabrics like silk, cotton,
or wool, sometimes
157
00:07:33,178 --> 00:07:36,737
in combination, on enormous
looms called draw looms.
158
00:07:36,848 --> 00:07:39,960
Weavers wove fabrics with
patterns of flowers, vines,
159
00:07:39,963 --> 00:07:43,472
and leaves so intricate
they looked like paintings.
160
00:07:44,154 --> 00:07:44,776
[Classical music plays]
161
00:07:44,776 --> 00:07:47,517
The fabric for my cushions and
bolsters, those are the long
162
00:07:47,543 --> 00:07:50,432
pillow rolls at my scrolled
ends, would have been woven
163
00:07:50,432 --> 00:07:55,245
in Lyon, dyed in deep, rich
colors, then sewn and stretched
164
00:07:55,245 --> 00:07:58,586
and fitted by the tapissier
with absolute precision.
165
00:07:59,155 --> 00:08:01,444
There is a sad little
secret about fabric, though.
166
00:08:01,740 --> 00:08:03,904
[sighs] It is the
first thing to go.
167
00:08:03,904 --> 00:08:06,067
[voice says “no
way.”] No, it’s true!
168
00:08:06,410 --> 00:08:09,646
Wood lasts for centuries,
gold as well, but
169
00:08:09,965 --> 00:08:12,183
fabric...fabric is fragile.
170
00:08:12,457 --> 00:08:17,363
It fades, it frays, it falls
to pieces, just like me.
171
00:08:17,801 --> 00:08:22,116
When someone wakes me from
a deep slumber [yawns] We
172
00:08:22,118 --> 00:08:23,837
have many beds from my era.
173
00:08:24,070 --> 00:08:26,603
We have very little of
their original fabric.
174
00:08:26,914 --> 00:08:30,224
So alas, my original
fabric is gone.
175
00:08:30,515 --> 00:08:33,508
The material on me now was
made much later to give you
176
00:08:33,510 --> 00:08:35,095
a sense of my former glory.
177
00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:38,133
But in my time, the
upholstery would’ve been
178
00:08:38,133 --> 00:08:41,155
changed out regularly,
even with the seasons.
179
00:08:41,155 --> 00:08:42,636
[Classical music plays]
180
00:08:42,636 --> 00:08:46,285
Can you imagine, a new
look every few months?
181
00:08:46,616 --> 00:08:46,895
Hmm.
182
00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:48,694
I rather liked that.
183
00:08:49,652 --> 00:08:51,783
How about one more
story before bedtime?
184
00:08:52,064 --> 00:08:54,244
I mean, my bedtime, of course.
185
00:08:54,662 --> 00:08:57,906
I told you a story
about myself, the bed.
186
00:08:58,263 --> 00:09:01,283
Now, perhaps you would like to
hear that bedtime story after
187
00:09:01,284 --> 00:09:05,995
all, which, as it turns out, is
also a story about fairy tales.
188
00:09:05,995 --> 00:09:07,034
[Slow, piano music plays]
189
00:09:07,034 --> 00:09:10,546
Once upon a time, there was a
woman named Madame d’Aulnoy,
190
00:09:10,836 --> 00:09:12,722
Marie-Catherine d’Aulnoy.
191
00:09:13,483 --> 00:09:17,165
She lived in France about 100
years before I was made, but her
192
00:09:17,165 --> 00:09:20,713
books were still very popular in
my youth, and she did something
193
00:09:20,713 --> 00:09:25,738
no one had done before: she gave
fairy tales their name, contes
194
00:09:25,738 --> 00:09:28,558
de fées, tales of fairies.
195
00:09:29,107 --> 00:09:31,909
Folktales and legends have
existed forever, but we can
196
00:09:31,911 --> 00:09:35,068
thank Madame d’Aulnoy for
inventing the term fairy tales
197
00:09:35,087 --> 00:09:39,477
for them, and doesn’t “fairy
tale” just sound more magical?
198
00:09:41,321 --> 00:09:44,226
My favorite of her stories
is called “The White Cat”.
199
00:09:44,537 --> 00:09:48,252
In it, three princes must
complete impossible tasks
200
00:09:48,363 --> 00:09:51,243
set by their father, the
king, to prove which one is
201
00:09:51,248 --> 00:09:52,680
worthy to rule the kingdom.
202
00:09:53,136 --> 00:09:56,441
On one of the prince’s travels,
he arrives at an enchanted
203
00:09:56,462 --> 00:10:00,665
castle filled with invisible
hands that serve him, and he is
204
00:10:00,665 --> 00:10:04,430
welcomed by a beautiful white
cat [cat meow] who is really
205
00:10:04,491 --> 00:10:06,685
a princess under a spell.
[cat purrs]
206
00:10:07,723 --> 00:10:10,169
The prince is given a room
to sleep in, and
207
00:10:10,169 --> 00:10:13,506
the bed is covered in quilts
embroidered with gold and
208
00:10:13,506 --> 00:10:16,525
silver thread [bells chime]
and curtains of the finest
209
00:10:16,525 --> 00:10:20,024
silk, because the cat princess
knows that a guest deserves
210
00:10:20,036 --> 00:10:24,623
the very best, and a truly
beautiful bed is a kindness.
211
00:10:24,688 --> 00:10:25,204
[voice yawns]
212
00:10:25,949 --> 00:10:28,177
Eventually, the prince
breaks the spell.
213
00:10:28,507 --> 00:10:30,400
The cat turns back
into a princess.
214
00:10:30,441 --> 00:10:32,230
[woman’s voice says hello]
They return to the kingdom,
215
00:10:32,730 --> 00:10:34,895
[crowd cheers] and it turns
out the other two brothers
216
00:10:34,895 --> 00:10:38,237
have also completed their
challenges [voices say “woah.”]
217
00:10:38,338 --> 00:10:43,318
and found brides. [laughter]
Three weddings! Oh, that’s a
218
00:10:43,318 --> 00:10:45,530
lot of cake, and a lot of silk.
219
00:10:45,709 --> 00:10:49,445
I’m sure everyone was exhausted
after, and gladly turned
220
00:10:49,446 --> 00:10:53,178
to their beautiful beds.
[group yawns]
221
00:10:53,178 --> 00:10:53,178
222
00:10:53,178 --> 00:10:56,794
My favorite part of that story
is how everyone came together
223
00:10:56,795 --> 00:11:00,870
for one big, happy ending,
just like so many people
224
00:11:00,875 --> 00:11:02,595
came together to make me.
225
00:11:03,207 --> 00:11:07,711
Well, [yawns] I cannot keep
my eyes open any longer.
226
00:11:09,153 --> 00:11:10,370
I simply cannot.
227
00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:14,492
It was lovely telling you my
bed story, and my bedtime story.
228
00:11:15,658 --> 00:11:16,240
Nighty night.
229
00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:35,788
[Lullaby music fades out and
Theme music begins]
230
00:11:35,788 --> 00:11:35,789
231
00:11:35,790 --> 00:11:35,790
232
00:11:35,790 --> 00:11:41,057
I hope you enjoyed learning
about beds and fairy tales.
233
00:11:41,057 --> 00:11:41,057
234
00:11:41,057 --> 00:11:44,390
Join us next time when
a little guy talks about
235
00:11:44,393 --> 00:11:46,278
something really big.
236
00:11:47,659 --> 00:11:50,765
To see photographs of the
bed, visit our website at
237
00:11:50,838 --> 00:11:54,401
getty dot edu slash IOCT.
238
00:11:55,011 --> 00:11:57,917
We’ve also got a listening
guide with discussion questions
239
00:11:57,963 --> 00:11:59,964
and related activities there.
240
00:12:00,774 --> 00:12:01,589
This episode was written
by Tocarra Elise and
241
00:12:01,589 --> 00:12:02,012
produced by Zoe Goldman.
242
00:12:02,012 --> 00:12:02,785
Shani Jamila voiced the bed.
243
00:12:03,287 --> 00:12:03,440
244
00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:11,901
Theme music, mixing, and sound
design by Alexandra Kalinowski.
245
00:12:13,358 --> 00:12:15,811
Christopher Sprinkle
is executive producer.
246
00:12:15,811 --> 00:12:20,509
Special thanks to curators
Anne-Lise Desmas and
247
00:12:20,509 --> 00:12:21,737
Miriam Schefzyk, as
well as Rebekkah Hart.
248
00:12:22,433 --> 00:12:22,727
These stories are
historical fiction.
249
00:12:22,727 --> 00:12:24,041
They’re based on historical
250
00:12:26,049 --> 00:12:28,782
facts and deep research,
but we’ve filled in the
251
00:12:28,783 --> 00:12:30,415
gaps to make a good story.
252
00:12:31,024 --> 00:12:33,945
If you have questions about
what you’ve heard, write to us
253
00:12:34,055 --> 00:12:37,125
at podteam at getty dot edu.
254
00:12:37,435 --> 00:12:38,609
Catch you next time.