Twee vensters met gordijnen 1895

Curator: Welcome. Today we're looking at an intriguing piece titled "Twee vensters met gordijnen" - or "Two windows with curtains". Created in 1895 by Léon Laroche, this work utilizes pen and ink in a drawing style that embodies decorative art principles. Editor: It feels instantly opulent. Like peering into a stage set, all soft lilac and glistening gold, but… somehow slightly melancholic too? Maybe it's the way the light doesn't quite stream through those immaculate windows. Curator: It is an interesting observation, especially given its function. This is an architectural study showcasing elaborate window treatments; so its mood relies solely on composition, materiality and texture. The very essence of Formalism is about isolating those pure aesthetic elements! Editor: Exactly. It’s about decoding the emotional response triggered by formal devices like symmetry and color! Speaking of colour, the juxtaposition of that muted mauve against the brighter gold fringe and drapery; it sets up a certain tension doesn't it? It’s controlled and quite serene, yet teetering on the edge of… almost too much. Curator: That teetering, as you call it, is deliberate. It’s playing with ideas of bourgeois domesticity and how luxury can sometimes smother a space. Notice how the drapes are precisely arranged to look lavish but also controlled; it highlights both the beauty and artifice. Editor: Almost theatrical even! Each tassel, each perfectly placed fold, creates this sense of constructed elegance. I get a sense the windows become like portraits within the portrait. Capturing these interiors, but almost as isolated spaces that need a viewer to spark them to life. What would you add? Curator: I am inclined to highlight the way Laroche combines realism with artistic flourish. While accurately rendering fabrics and textures, the very medium, ink on paper, removes it from tangible reality— transforming a practical object into a potent symbol of 19th century aspirations. What's your lasting thought? Editor: Mine? It's the paradox of display. Presenting perfection while subtly revealing the manufactured nature behind it, which makes me wonder if the scene behind the curtains matches the impeccable window dressings. It all sparks such contemplation on space and persona.