Boekenkast 1895 - 1935

This finely detailed drawing of a bookcase—*Boekenkast*—might have been crafted with ink and watercolor by Léon Laroche. I can imagine the precise hand and focused gaze it took to render such intricate ornamentation and perspective. I wonder about Laroche's state of mind as he painstakingly detailed each shelf of books, each curl and flourish of the wood. Did he find joy in the obsessive detail, or was it a kind of meditation? I think about the labor, but I also see the care. The soft hues of blues, greens, and creams create a sense of calm and order, an echo of the Renaissance, but it also resonates with contemporary design, where elegance and functionality merge. I see a conversation happening across centuries, from the cabinet makers to the graphic designers of today, each inspiring and riffing off the other's creativity. And now, here we are looking at it!