Interior Decorator’s Account Book of Hours Spent 1846

This Interior Decorator’s Account Book of Hours Spent was made by Jules-Edmond-Charles Lachaise in France, but the exact date remains unknown. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the world of interior design, showcasing the meticulous details and labor involved in creating opulent spaces. Notice the hand-drawn sketches of decorative elements and the carefully recorded hours spent on each task. The book reflects a society deeply invested in aesthetics, where the wealthy commissioned elaborate designs to showcase their status and taste. It also speaks to the social conditions that shaped artistic production, detailing the economic structures that supported skilled artisans. To understand this work better, one might investigate archives and social histories of the French decorative arts in the 19th and 20th centuries. Such research shows us that art is always contingent on social and institutional context.