Parasol with machine-made lace c. 1910

This parasol with machine-made lace, by M. Cazal, is giving me all kinds of tactile and emotional feels. It has got this lovely layered effect, with the lace creating soft, undulating rhythms. I’m thinking of those hot days, the sun blazing, and M. Cazal, maybe someone who enjoyed delicate things, deciding to create this object. I can imagine the artist carefully considering each layer of lace, the way it drapes and falls, creating shadows. Look at the creaminess of the textile and how that’s juxtaposed with the frilly lace. It’s like a dance between light and shadow, form and formlessness. For me, it touches on themes of protection and beauty. It is reminiscent of the work of other artists who explore ornamentation, like Charles Le Brun, but with this sense of modesty. Artists are always riffing off of one another. Here, it’s as if the artist is saying, "I embrace uncertainty, but also I enjoy the control of making."