Deur met gordijnen c. 1895 - 1910

Léon Laroche made this print called 'Door with Curtains', using some kind of printmaking technique. What strikes me first is the material quality, the way the folds are rendered with such delicacy, particularly in the pink fabric. Look closely and you can see the individual strokes of the printing plate. The texture gives the fabric a sense of volume, almost like it’s breathing. But it's not just about realism; the artist is clearly interested in the interplay between form and surface, notice how the blue patterned curtain introduces another dimension. Laroche’s expertise in the medium allows him to mimic, and then abstract from reality. Thinking about other artists, I'm reminded of someone like Manet, with his use of domestic scenes and ambiguous spaces. It’s an open ended conversation across time, where meaning is never fixed, but always evolving.