Page from a Scrapbook containing Drawings and Several Prints of Architecture, Interiors, Furniture and Other Objects 1795 - 1805

Editor: Here we have a page from a scrapbook by Charles Percier, made around 1795-1805. It's a mix of drawings and prints of architecture, interiors, furniture. It's all laid out on paper. What strikes me is the sheer variety of line work, from the delicate detail of the urns to the broader strokes depicting architectural structures. What do you see in this piece, especially from a formalist point of view? Curator: The initial aspect that captures my attention is the inherent interplay of form. Note, firstly, the arrangement; discrete units coexisting within a defined border. Semiotically, each drawing functions as a signifier. Consider the prevalence of geometric shapes, both implied and actualized; they lend a structural stability and visual coherence despite the variation in depicted objects. How does the density of line contribute to your interpretation? Editor: It feels like a blueprint, a catalog of ideas. The linework helps to differentiate between foreground and background, highlighting certain objects and spatial relationships. Is the flatness something significant here? Curator: Precisely. The relative lack of shading directs our focus not to verisimilitude, but rather to the skeletal structure. This flatness emphasizes the geometric foundation upon which these designs are predicated. The stark lines encourage the observer to analyze each element independently before recognizing how these elements function as an unified visual expression within this single composition. What impact do you believe this selection has on its meaning? Editor: I think it transforms mundane objects into a study of pure form and composition. Percier has taken design elements and elevated them to the level of artistic exploration. I never would have thought a scrapbook could be so layered. Curator: Exactly. It showcases the intrinsic aesthetic qualities of these designs divorced from their functional context. An exploration into structure, balance and geometric order - elements, ultimately, crucial in any art.