Interior Design with a Central Door with Brown Curtains Flanked by Benches, against an Aquamarine Wall, with an Overdoor Painting 1880 - 1900

This interior design was rendered anonymously, on paper, with watercolor and graphite. The cool aquamarine of the walls and white plasterwork set the stage for this elegant, yet somewhat severe, composition. The anonymous artist has attended to the play of light across the surfaces; and note the canny use of brown for the curtains, to create a focal point and pull the viewer’s eye. While the architectural elements are rendered with precision, the benches and curtains have a lighter touch. The treatment of the curtains is particularly interesting, the fabric appearing heavy and textured. Consider the labor involved in producing such details, both in real-world interiors and in the drawing that represents them. The curtains’ materiality – their weave, drape, and weight – is communicated vividly through the artist’s hand. By attending closely to the representation of textiles and furniture, this anonymous drawing encourages us to consider the amount of skill and work involved in the production of domestic comfort.