Elevation of a paneled wall with a mural or tapestry and a double doors surmounted by a painting of ducks 1820 - 1897

Curator: Editor: So, here we have Jules-Edmond-Charles Lachaise's "Elevation of a paneled wall with a mural or tapestry and a double doors surmounted by a painting of ducks," likely from between 1820 and 1897. It's a drawing and print, it seems like a design for an interior space. What's fascinating is this careful attention to... almost a cataloging of the interior elements. What catches your eye? Curator: I'm immediately drawn to the explicit depiction of the materials. We're presented with wood, paper, pigment. Think about the labor embedded in each element. The logging and milling for the paneling, the production of paper, the grinding of pigments for both the 'high art' mural and the draftsmanship of the wall itself. Where does craft end and art begin, here? Editor: That's a great point. The mural, with its idyllic ducks, seems to be positioned as "art," but the detailed rendering of the wood paneling surely demanded skill as well. So, is it a commentary on social class perhaps, with the ducks a sign of luxury? Curator: It certainly could be. Consider who would commission such an elaborate interior. Then look at the depiction itself—is the "art" better made, or better valued, than the wall and door themselves? Also consider how the materials would have been sourced. Who profited? Editor: I never thought about sourcing. You know, examining it this way makes the drawing about more than just interior design. It is a snapshot of the economics and labor of its time. Curator: Exactly. The art isn't just the finished image, but the web of materials, work, and consumption it represents. Now what do you think about consumption and labor? Editor: This reframing makes me appreciate not just the final aesthetic but the journey of the materials.