Canapé 1895 - 1935

This delicate Canapé Louis XV, by Léon Laroche, uses watercolour and graphite to depict a rather fancy sofa. It's like the artist is thinking through how the thing would be made, the materials and form. I love the gentle quality of the line and wash. The gold trim looks so opulent, but the washes are pale, almost like a memory of gold. There's a real sense of surface in this image: the paper, the graphite lines, the subtle colour. There’s a looseness, it feels less about the object and more about a set of relationships. Take a look at how the repeated floral pattern of the upholstery has been reduced to a series of interlocking lozenges, and notice how the interior lozenges are more muted, as if to suggest the fading of the material. I'm reminded of some of David Hockney's graphic work, where the process of drawing and the making of an image take precedence over representing reality. This piece invites us to consider the creative process and the many ways of seeing the world around us.