Design for a ceiling 1850 - 1900

Curator: Up next we have “Design for a Ceiling” created sometime between 1850 and 1900, a drawing by Jules-Edmond-Charles Lachaise here at the Met. What's your first take? Editor: Airy and light, isn’t it? Makes me think of old palaces and hushed whispers, yet the simple geometry is rather calming. Almost meditative. Curator: I see what you mean. Those repeating floral motifs inside the grid hint at something larger, grander. The neoclassicism style does lend itself to imperial Rome with that understated but elegant use of repeated pattern. Editor: Precisely! That cross shape which punctuates each intersection reminds me of a simplified Byzantine cross, doesn't it? Could it symbolize celestial protection, a blessing upon the space it would adorn? Perhaps this intersection represents harmony. Curator: Ah, that could very well be. Given its time period, it also suggests a certain level of historical consciousness—drawing from that Roman vocabulary but subtly filtered. The different coloured ornamentation for the border helps define this, giving it that feeling of transition. Editor: Colors definitely act as signs. The copper color up top to invite inspiration, maybe the regal purple below to signal the support and sophistication. The ceiling acts like a visual poem! Curator: What's interesting is that the work itself it's quite understated given it's a decorative piece of work. The lack of intensity gives the drawing its unique sensibility. Editor: That’s a really great point—the subtlety allows your mind to dream bigger! The work itself functions almost as a mental palate cleanser to then engage you with the interior it decorates. So interesting.