Twee vensters met gordijnen 1885 - 1895

Curator: We're looking at a watercolor print titled "Twee vensters met gordijnen," or "Two Windows with Curtains," created between 1885 and 1895 by Léon Laroche. Editor: They’re beautiful! The colours are so delicate, almost faded, but it creates a feeling of… wistful elegance? I can almost feel the light filtering through those windows. Curator: What’s interesting is its presentation, very much in the style of a catalog. Laroche, a figure linked to decorative arts, probably designed this print for an interiors magazine. It showcases different options for how people can decorate their homes. Editor: It's interesting how what we consider decorative arts today served such a functional, almost instructive purpose at the time. Looking closer, there’s an intriguing contrast. One window display feels rather contained and traditional. Curator: The other seems to embrace lighter patterns and a softer aesthetic. It invites different perceptions and attitudes based on socioeconomic standing. These kinds of magazines allowed middle-class individuals to aspire towards and consume a new sense of sophistication and style. Editor: Absolutely, we can observe the performative element of homemaking, especially as women were expected to be the chief consumers. They were, in effect, curating their lives through interior decor. This image could symbolize domestic ideals, expectations of refinement, or, potentially, even resistance to such narrow definitions. Curator: That's a valid and provocative interpretation. I see a presentation of aesthetic possibilities intended to shape and influence consumer tastes within a broader societal shift towards industrialized design and consumerism. It certainly gives us a glimpse into the lifestyle aspirations of the late 19th century. Editor: I think thinking about this as just "pretty window dressings" misses an opportunity. I now realize how domestic choices of the time were not as benign as they may appear.