Some time ago on one of our antique hunts we came across a veritable curiosity shop called Aosen Antiques. It was a labyrinth of large chambers and pocky nooks and crannies and attics connected by tunnels, stairs and even ladders with heavily stocked aisles and covered walls. It was such a vast maze that I got lost several times and I can tell you Apple Maps was no help.
Even if we hadn’t found a single piece to take back to the studio with us I would have been happy with just the adventure of exploring the caves of wonder. But we found some marvellous items, some of which we could not afford like a Dutch grandfather music box clock from 1790s, and some more modest pieces such as our now favourite and famous antique child’s highchair.
We like to keep the props simple at Rembrandt and keep the focus on the people. If it helps tell a story we like it but if it distracts from the parent or child then it shouldn’t be in our frame. And this beautiful antique child’s highchair made of stained hardwood was perfect - not too fancy to take the centre stage and interesting enough to add atmosphere and direction to the portrait.
We have used the highchair from babies younger than one year old who can use it as a helper when they are too young to stand on their own.And as they get older they can sit on it or even be captured climbing onto it. It’s a chimera, a chair a playground or a measuring stick. It acts as a visual anchor for the development of their baby as they grow from reaching up to the seat of the chair to outgrowing the chair itself. It’s a sturdy antique and has survived a so far and it should remain in our arsenal for many years to come.