Raampartij met gordijnen c. 1885 - 1895

Léon Laroche made this print of a window display with curtains using an engraving technique. We can understand this image as a sign of its times, the plate comes from "Le Garde-Meuble," a series showing the latest trends in interior decoration. The print’s attention to detail indicates a desire to capture and disseminate particular aesthetic ideals. In visualizing the latest fashions, images like this played an important role in shaping consumer culture, particularly in urban centers such as Paris, where this print was published. It can be seen as a proto-IKEA catalogue, in that way. By studying the print alongside other visual materials, such as fashion plates, interior design manuals, and advertisements, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the social and cultural values that shaped the production and reception of art in 19th-century France. We come to see the public role of art and the social conditions that shape artistic production.