Venster met gordijnen c. 1895 - 1910

Léon Laroche made this drawing of a window with curtains, and the first thing I notice is the layering of delicate washes to create a sense of depth. It’s art about art, capturing the way we dress up our interior lives. The material quality of the drawing is so important here. Look closely and you’ll see the grain of the paper coming through the translucent colour. I think this is particularly effective in the way the pale blue of the curtain on the right catches the light. It is also interesting to consider the surface of the paper in relation to the represented surface of the plush curtain fabric. In artmaking, the physical act of creation and the illusionistic representation are always entwined. This piece reminds me of the work of contemporary artists like Richard Tuttle, who also explore the relationship between surface and representation. Art is always an ongoing conversation, a process of exchange and reinterpretation across time.