Fauteuil en stoel 1895 - 1935

Léon Laroche rendered these chairs with pencil and watercolor. Look how the artist seems to have worked methodically, defining the chairs with crisp outlines, and then, with what feels like tenderness, filled each form with washes of periwinkle, cream, and gold. They appear so sedate! Laroche must have taken great joy in illustrating these chairs, in the soft rendering of their silky textures, and I can imagine them stepping back to see how the various elements worked together as a whole, each line, colour, and wash contributing to the chairs overall allure. The artist’s hand is evident in every detail. It reminds me of the kind of focused attention, and quiet observations which are part of the great lineage of artists. I am inspired to go back to my studio with a renewed sense of focus.