Perzië 1768 - 1771

Curator: Immediately I’m struck by a sense of…intellectual overload. There’s just so much happening in this image, a veritable mountain of symbolic objects. Editor: Indeed. We are looking at "Perzië", an engraving dating back to 1768-1771 by Jean Charles Delafosse, part of the collection at the Rijksmuseum. Delafosse, a significant figure in decorative arts, particularly excelled at these kinds of architectural prints. Curator: Architectural print indeed! Though I admit, beyond the columns, the architecture is…confusing. There’s a toppling overabundance here; I feel a nervous tension, as though it could all come crashing down at any moment. What do you make of the array of objects balancing precariously on top? Editor: I think that's key. These weren’t intended as blueprints for buildings; rather, these were created to inspire artisans. Those "precarious" objects showcase a wealth of intellectual and artistic pursuits: you’ve got books representing knowledge, geometric instruments symbolizing precision, a painting depicting the triumph of virtue over vice. It is essentially a cornucopia of enlightenment ideals, visualized. Curator: Yes, the overt display of Enlightenment ideals makes it unmistakably of its time. The question then becomes, what’s behind this overwhelming desire to categorize all of human knowledge and virtue? Almost as though displaying them visually somehow contains or guarantees them? And note the flower basket at the base…almost a consolation prize to balance the intellectual aspirations above. Editor: I wouldn't see the flowers so cynically. They act as a grounding element. The print also presents a world that needs beautification to justify such ambition. And these architectural fantasies offered artisans a way to elevate everyday objects, to instill these higher ideals into the decorative elements of life for people, shaping cultural sensibilities towards the Neoclassical and beyond. These designs influenced craft, interior design and fashion through generations. Curator: Ah, you frame that social ambition nicely. This reminds me that these decorative fantasies carry a cultural weight beyond their immediate aesthetic. Knowing these designs influenced tastes allows us to recognize these symbolic objects reappearing across artistic movements. Editor: Exactly. The visual language evolves, but these core symbols retain their echoes across history. Curator: I am struck, then, with the cultural through-line: seeing in “Perzië” less a practical design, and more an emotional register. It showcases our long-standing drive to enshrine and elevate objects with meaning.