Twee fauteuils 1895 - 1935

Léon Laroche made this print of two chairs, using delicate lines and watercolors. It's an advert for furniture, but I love how the process of illustration is so clear. Look at the soft pinks and blues, like faded candy. The mark-making is precise but still feels light. The way the fringe on the one chair is drawn, little dashes that suggest texture without defining every strand. It’s not trying to trick you into thinking it's real. I'm drawn to the flatness of the image, how the colors create depth without heavy shading. It reminds me of the work of Charles Demuth, who also used watercolor to depict everyday objects with a sense of quiet beauty. Ultimately, it invites us to see the potential for art in the most functional of objects, and the beauty in the making of things.