Deur met gordijnen c. 1885 - 1895

Curator: This print by Léon Laroche, titled "Deur met gordijnen," dates from around 1885 to 1895. It's an engraving showcasing design elements popular during the Art Nouveau period and reflects an interest in decorative arts and genre painting. Editor: First impression? Theatre! All that dramatic draping...it feels like the curtain’s about to rise on a play about…interior design! A rather fancy one, admittedly. Curator: The print appeared in "Le Garde-Meuble," a publication dedicated to furniture designs. It underscores how images were circulated and consumed to inform taste and decorate homes. The title, in fact, means furniture repository in French. Editor: Right! So it's like a catalogue page—an influencer, but with paper and ink, selling the dream of gilded elegance. Although that subdued green is oddly comforting. Is it trying to say, "luxury, but make it livable"? Curator: Indeed. Note the emphasis on “Louis XVI drapery.” There’s an explicit reference to historical styles to give these new designs added cultural capital. It suggests quality and tradition that a rising bourgeoisie would aspire to have in their homes. Editor: I like the tassels, they’re a very sensual, almost human detail… Do you think they were trying to humanise domestic space or something by incorporating all this very touchable embellishment? And look at the tiny medallion portrait at the top. Regal much? Curator: The portrait elevates the scene, connecting it to the tradition of royal patronage. It's strategic, placing even mere home decoration within a sphere of high culture, which, for much of its history, was dictated and sponsored by aristocratic power. Editor: So, ultimately it’s not just about fancy doors, but the aspirations attached to them? Very revealing! Makes you wonder about the stories those curtains would frame. Curator: Precisely. It's about access to a constructed past through domestic embellishments. A neat print providing access to design history and material culture. Editor: Okay, "Deur met gordijnen," more like door WITH expectations! Well, I learned more than I expected. I'll probably obsess over tasseled tiebacks tonight.