Ontwerp voor een hanger met bloemtakken van de witte wisteria, van geëmailleerd goud c. 1905

This delicate design for a pendant with flowering wisteria, in enamel and gold, is by Paul Louchet. I imagine Louchet hunched over his drawing board, the light glinting off his instruments, each line a tiny step towards the final glittering object. There’s something so tender about the way the wisteria blooms are rendered, their pale colour suggesting a certain ethereal quality, like they might just float off the page. The leaves, rendered in shades of gold and green, create a soft contrast to the blue ground. It's like he's trying to capture the fleeting beauty of nature. The hanging gold chains could have been an afterthought. Did he try other things? Or did they just fall into place? Did Louchet ever think about the fact that one day people like us would be standing here, looking at this design? And did he imagine how the future wearers of this piece might be inspired to create? We're all in conversation.