Page from a Scrapbook containing Drawings and Several Prints of Architecture, Interiors, Furniture and Other Objects 1795 - 1805

This scrapbook page, by Charles Percier, features drawings and prints of architecture, interiors, furniture and other objects. Percier was a leading architect and designer in France during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and this page offers a glimpse into his creative process. The scrapbook itself is a fascinating object, composed of paper, ink, and adhered prints. The drawings, rapidly executed with pen and ink, reveal Percier's interest in classical forms and his ability to translate these into functional designs. Notice the variations in line weight and texture, indicating a directness of hand. These qualities are in contrast to the prints, which would have required a separate reproductive process involving a printing press and skilled technicians. What’s intriguing is how this page blurs the lines between artistic creation and industrial production. Percier likely saw no contradiction between these activities. To him, the intellectual labor of design and the practical labor of making were inextricably linked. This approach reminds us that the value of an object lies not only in its aesthetic qualities but also in the processes and social contexts that bring it into being.