Plafond van de ovale salon van de prinses van Rohan in Hôtel de Soubise 1859

This drawing by Alphonse Guilletat depicts the ceiling of the Princess of Rohan's oval salon in the Hôtel de Soubise. It is a riot of ornamentation. The drawing's main concern is the translation of a real ceiling into a two-dimensional rendering. The artist captured the ornate plasterwork, which is the result of a labor-intensive process that required immense skill and craftsmanship. Artisans would have meticulously sculpted the plaster, layering it to create depth and texture, which Guilletat renders through careful stippling. The design itself, with its cherubs, foliage, and geometric patterns, reflects the era's aristocratic taste for opulence and grandeur, symbolizing status and power. Looking at Guilletat's drawing, one can appreciate the artistic skill of the original artisans whose labor produced the Hôtel de Soubise, as well as the larger social and economic structures of the time. The drawing makes visible the modes of production of the decorative art that adorned aristocratic homes.