Design for Trompe l'Oeil Stairway Ceiling, Hôtel Hope 1867

This watercolor design by Jules-Edmond-Charles Lachaise, created in 1867, is a plan for a trompe l'oeil ceiling in the Hôtel Hope in New York. The design depicts a sky filled with clouds and birds, creating the illusion of looking up from a grand, open space. This design features a central motif of doves flying in a circle, surrounded by foliage and architectural details. The work is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and is a valuable example of 19th-century decorative art.