Suggestion for the Decoration of Top Right Side of Portal, Plate 3 from 'Allerneueste Façon von Auszierungen zu Portalen' 1745 - 1755

Editor: Here we have "Suggestion for the Decoration of Top Right Side of Portal," a print made around 1750 by Jeremias Wachsmuth. It’s an etching and engraving, showing a wildly ornate architectural element. Honestly, it looks like something out of a very fancy fairy tale! What strikes you about this piece? Curator: Oh, the sheer exuberant detail! It’s so over-the-top, isn’t it? Like the architect just threw every possible flourish at it! You know, this is quintessential Baroque. But beyond just the style, I think this print is fascinating because it's essentially a proposition, a 'suggestion,' as the title tells us, for embellishment. It’s pure fantasy, almost daring someone to actually build it. Makes you wonder if anyone ever did. Don’t you get that sense of audacious whimsy? Editor: I do. It almost feels…impractical? Was this a common thing, to have these elaborate, almost impossible designs circulated? Curator: Absolutely. Think of these prints as idea fuel. In the 18th century, pattern books were all the rage. Architects, craftsmen, wealthy patrons—they all consumed these images, borrowing and adapting motifs. So, while this exact portal might never have existed, its spirit—that love of exuberant curves and decorative excess—definitely lived on in buildings of the time. Look at the almost cartoonish energy! The asymmetry, too – very deliberate, you think? Editor: Yes! Knowing that makes it less of a blueprint and more of a, like, mood board for architects. And I can see elements of it in buildings I know. I thought the asymmetry was accidental, but now… it gives it a real spark. Curator: Precisely. It transforms our understanding, doesn’t it? It shows how even seemingly straightforward images can contain layers of intention and cultural context.