Ceiling and Cove Designs, Hôtel Rothschild, Vienna 1850 - 1900

Jules-Edmond-Charles Lachaise created this pencil on paper drawing entitled Ceiling and Cove Designs, Hôtel Rothschild, Vienna. Reflecting the opulence of its time, this drawing provides a glimpse into the aesthetic values of the upper class. The Rothschild family, known for their wealth and influence, commissioned spaces that mirrored their status. Within the designs, you can see classical motifs and allegorical figures, popular symbols of power and culture in that era. The inclusion of ‘ASIA’ in the design, suggests the global reach of the Rothschilds' financial empire. What does it mean to inscribe and celebrate imperial reach in a private home? How does this render the personal political? This work reflects an era where wealth was not just a personal attribute but a statement of global power. It is an era when domestic space becomes a theater for performing power. It asks us to consider the legacy of such displays and their impact on contemporary discussions of wealth, class and identity.