Fauteuil en stoel 1895 - 1935

This delicate rendering of ‘Fauteuil en stoel’ was made with graphite and watercolour, and it looks like Laroche really relished the process of artmaking. The drawing is delicate, precise. Yet when I look at it closely, I’m struck by the contrast between the precision of the furniture's contours and the softness of its pastel colours. Look at the way the faint hues of pink, green and brown suggest the textures of the upholstery and the tassels: it’s a kind of dream of furniture, where solidity is combined with lightness. I notice how this combination creates a feeling of warmth and nostalgia, like a memory of a childhood room, or a stage set, waiting for a play to begin. It reminds me of some of David Hockney's interior drawings, where line and colour work together to create a sense of atmosphere. Maybe this is where the charm of art lies: its ability to hold contradictory ideas and create something new.