Paper Fire Grate Cover c. 1937

This delicate paper fire grate cover was made by Vincent P. Rosel, and I'm immediately drawn to the obsessive, repetitive nature of the pattern. Imagine Rosel, a man born in 1855, carefully cutting away at the paper, rose after rose, leaf after leaf. I think about my own work sometimes, how it becomes a kind of meditation, a way to work through something by doing. This piece almost feels like a prayer, or a spell, each cut a small act of devotion to the process. And what about this interplay of positive and negative space, this pushing and pulling of form? The way the red ground pushes forward while the cream roses recede. I love how the dark frame anchors the ephemeral design, giving it a kind of solidity and presence that belies the fragility of the paper itself. It’s a lovely conversation across time, seeing how one artist's dedication can spark another's imagination.