Ontwerptekening voor een kamerwand 1760 - 1819

Jurriaan Andriessen made this design drawing for a room decoration using pen, watercolor and graphite. The materials themselves are humble, but deployed with considerable skill. The artist created a believable illusion of depth. The cool hues of the landscape are set off by the sculptural niches on either side. These contain classical figures, painted in neutral tones to mimic marble. The architectural elements are lightly washed in brown, giving the impression of carved woodwork. The drawing anticipates the labor that would be required to bring it into being. Carpenters, carvers, and specialist painters would all have been needed. These trades were strictly guilded and a project like this would represent a considerable investment on the part of Andriessen's client. Seen in this light, it’s not just a design for a room, but a vision of a whole social ecosystem, with luxury as its organizing principle. When we look at works of decorative art like this, we gain access into a world of workshops and commissions, beyond the artist’s studio.