Twee schildersezels met draperieën 1895

Léon Laroche created this print depicting two easels with draperies. During this period, the decorative arts were often used to reinforce social status, and the display of art was no exception. How we present art is just as crucial as the art itself. These easels, adorned with luxurious fabrics, speak to the culture of bourgeois display and domesticity. The draped easels create a theatrical setting for the artworks. They turn the simple act of viewing into an event. The fabrics might also function as a form of censorship, where the artwork can be veiled from the public, reinforcing the idea of art as something exclusive. Ultimately, this print invites us to reflect on the relationship between art, its presentation, and the social values that underpin its creation and consumption. It is an image which reveals as much as it conceals.