Raampartij met gordijnen c. 1895 - 1910

Curator: This piece, “Raampartij met gordijnen,” dating from around 1895 to 1910 and created by Léon Laroche, immediately evokes a certain, well, stillness. It's as if a gentle sigh has been captured in a drawing. Editor: Indeed, the pale pink and soft grays generate a sense of placid containment. From a formal perspective, the artist’s application of neoclassical principles yields an interesting dialogue between geometric constraint and decorative art. Curator: Constraint is an interesting word for it, don't you think? It feels more like…an exhale? The geometry is certainly present but softens under the weight of these incredibly ornamental, almost indulgent drapes. Like a sweet pastry that just holds it shape instead of turning into crumbs when you touched. Editor: Structurally, the window frames a grid, which mirrors the pattern atop the curtains, while the draping fabric disrupts that rigid geometry, introducing a softness, a 'narrative' if you will. Think of the implications of those layers - light diffusion, concealment, the creation of private space. It speaks to the broader interplay between the private and public that informed Neoclassical interiors. Curator: Right. It’s not about grand gestures. The window doesn't even offer us an expansive view - just the subtle promise of outside, kept at bay. More than being Neoclassical or anything else, maybe, for me, it expresses what living and resting at home must have been about, then. And sometimes I feel it should be enough for anyone. Editor: The success lies perhaps in that tension between domesticity and aesthetic theory. Laroche offers a masterclass in lines. Observe how those finely etched strokes establish both form and shadow. Curator: Ultimately it creates something gentle, wouldn’t you say? There’s a delicate quality, like a whispered promise or memory, something easy to dwell in. It feels welcoming in its own very quiet way. Editor: Absolutely, its subtle, inviting appeal derives precisely from the meticulous organization of these formal elements. It is both artful design and invitation.