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

Curator: So delicate! It almost floats on the page. I'm getting lost in those sketchy lines... what do you see? Editor: This is a page from a scrapbook, holding drawings and prints created sometime between 1795 and 1805. It was conceived by Charles Percier, known for his dedication to Neoclassical style, working here with a combination of printmaking and drawing. I find it striking how a single page speaks volumes about power dynamics during that era, particularly how architectural spaces were planned and for whom. Curator: I love how spare it is. Just line, form and suggestion, you know? It's a whole world hinted at. I’m picturing architects and clients poring over similar pages and deciding what spaces get built. Talk about potential energy! Editor: Absolutely. Consider the geometries: strict lines offset by elegant curves in the central oval structure, likely inspired by ancient Roman bathhouses. Spaces of leisure and often privilege. Curator: You are totally right; it has that vibe of being inside a private Roman bath. It almost feels forbidden! Like I’ve stumbled on somebody’s secret plan, something precious, you know? Editor: That feeling of secrecy echoes something crucial – who had access to design, and more importantly, power during this era? Architecture, especially domestic spaces, reinforced social stratification. While Neoclassicism might seem about universal beauty, it often played out very differently in the real lives of the wealthy. Curator: So true. All those clean lines hiding all sorts of social hierarchies. I never thought about this; how it might be excluding people through style. The funny thing is, looking at those quick, sure strokes of Percier’s hand makes me want to build something myself, maybe just out of sandcastles. A little architectural anarchy, eh? Editor: Indeed, while acknowledging these inherent power structures, the scrap-book aesthetic also presents a looser take to neoclassical norms—a personal experimentation of these structures that offers different perspectives. These rough drafts present more possibilities for contemporary architecture as imagined on this old, timeworn page.