Design for a ceiling decorated with trellis work and a trompe l'oeil balustrade 1850 - 1900

Curator: What a delicate line! I am struck by the intricate details and sheer craft involved in creating this architectural fantasy. Editor: Indeed. We're looking at a work entitled "Design for a ceiling decorated with trellis work and a trompe l'oeil balustrade" attributed to Jules-Edmond-Charles Lachaise, likely created sometime between 1850 and 1900. The Met houses it. It's a drawing rendered in print and etching. There’s an ambition to trick the eye through technical skill. Curator: Absolutely, trompe l'oeil is always fascinating. The rendering feels incomplete, like looking at an architectural drawing which reveals its constructed nature. This design lays bare the labor involved in luxury. Editor: It reflects an interesting tension within 19th-century decorative arts. We see the rise of industrial production attempting to mimic hand craftsmanship, a tension clearly present in the printmaking process. And how the newly wealthy could display "aristocratic" taste. Curator: I wonder if this design was ever actually realized. Editor: That is an excellent point. Designs like this also served as a means for artists and designers to display their virtuosity, even without a specific commission, participating in and shaping contemporary taste. And also speaking of labor: What did the division of labor mean in workshops producing these intricate designs, and the impact this might have had? Curator: What do you see for future audiences regarding drawings like these? Editor: For me it sparks critical thought about illusion, labor and artistic expression as well as production methods. But to me, the drawing brings this history alive and I imagine people who may be long gone and forgotten. Curator: Agreed. It’s a wonderful testament to the power of line and human skill. We see in this drawing also the hand and imagination behind the architecture and material of everyday spaces. Editor: Very well said!