Design for the Corner of a Decoration (recto); Sketch of Monumental Building with Four Temple-Front Entrances (verso) 1720 - 1740

This design for a corner decoration was drawn by Jacques de Lajoüe, probably in the early 18th century, using pen and gray ink with gray wash on paper. The medium itself speaks volumes. Lajoüe, a Parisian painter and designer, would have executed this drawing as a preparatory study. Imagine the painstaking labor involved in translating this two-dimensional design into three-dimensional plaster or carved wood. Each acanthus leaf, each delicate flower, meticulously rendered by skilled artisans. The drawing represents the high style of the Régence, a transitional period between the Baroque and Rococo. Its fluid lines and naturalistic motifs reflect a shift in taste towards lightness and asymmetry. But this apparent frivolity belies the intense labor and specialized craftsmanship required to bring such designs to life. We might consider this drawing as a document of the French decorative arts, at a time when it was considered the height of luxury and elegance. It reflects the culture of its day, with the labor it represents and the social status it implies.