Design for double doors decorated in the rococco style 1867

Editor: Here we have Jules-Edmond-Charles Lachaise's "Design for Double Doors Decorated in the Rococo Style," created around 1867. It seems to be a watercolor drawing, very precisely rendered. It evokes a sense of delicate opulence, and the linear quality emphasizes the architectural elements. What stands out to you in terms of its composition? Curator: What strikes me first is the rigorous symmetry at play, even as the Rococo style delights in asymmetry. Note the strategic framing: how the strong verticality of the pink panels containing implied, decorative patterning anchors the central door design. Consider the function of line here; the precise outlines that dictate the ornate details. Observe how line and wash combine to build form. Editor: So, even within the ornate details, there’s still a strict structural foundation? I’m so used to thinking of Rococo as pure ornamentation. Curator: Precisely. Lachaise displays a clear understanding of how underlying structure can support surface decoration. How does the colour contribute? Editor: The limited palette, mostly pink, cream and gold, it creates a sense of refined luxury, while staying delicate. It's luxurious, but not overwhelming. I'm curious about why Lachaise chose this particular arrangement of panels and decorative motifs; is it based on some system? Curator: One can dissect it using semiotics. The panels could be viewed as modules, and the motifs as units within a system, which, as a whole, conveys a specific message regarding hierarchy and order. However, to say this would have a clear textual meaning seems, ultimately, limiting. Is the visual experience reduced when described in terms of system and semiotic code? Editor: It is interesting to see how a design for a functional object becomes, on paper, something to analyze on its formal properties. Curator: Exactly. A piece like this pushes us to look closely at the construction of beauty through purely formal decisions. It prompts us to move past questions of function.