Design for the decoration of a beamed ceiling 1840 - 1897

This design for a beamed ceiling was rendered in graphite and watercolor by Jules-Edmond-Charles Lachaise. The design presents a series of parallel wooden beams intersected by vertical supports, dividing the ceiling into blue panels with a repeated motif. Note how the wood grain is delicately conveyed with paint, and the artist has taken the time to give the blue panels depth and texture. This is not just a technical drawing, but an evocation of the qualities of the materials to be used. Lachaise has also added decorative details at the joints between beams and supports, demonstrating a skilled hand. Here, design is not just about engineering or architecture, but about incorporating ornament into the everyday experience of a space. It points to a moment when fine art and craft could still be conceived as one.