Eight designs for the painted decoration of interiors 1830 - 1897

These eight designs for painted interiors were rendered on paper by Jules-Edmond-Charles Lachaise, sometime in the early twentieth century. These drawings represent an interesting intersection of art, design, and skilled craftsmanship. Look closely and you'll notice intricate, repeating patterns of floral and geometric forms, drafted with pencil and ink. The artist was likely trained in the tradition of ornamental design, which was crucial for architects and interior decorators of the time. These drawings are not fine art as such, but rather a means to an end: a proposal for how to embellish wealthy homes. The question, then, is how these drawings would translate into actual labor. The patterns would have been transferred onto walls and ceilings, and meticulously painted by skilled artisans. Consider the amount of labor required to execute these designs on a grand scale. Ultimately, works like this remind us that even the most seemingly decorative and inconsequential images always imply an economic infrastructure.