Ceiling Decorations c. 1940

William Kieckhofel made this study for ceiling decorations, sometime between 1855 and 1995 using what looks like watercolor or gouache. There's a looseness, an exploratory vibe, and I love the way the textures are built up, almost like he’s sketching with the brush itself. Look at the way the pinky-brown washes of the stone arch contrast with the deliberate, decorative motif above. The way the motif is placed feels like a playful comment on the architecture it will adorn. I am really drawn to the cracked surface of the arch. The way the pigment settles into the paper creates a rough and aged texture that is unexpected in a preliminary sketch. It feels almost like a ruin but also like something waiting to happen. It reminds me a little of Piranesi, but perhaps more playful, humble somehow. This piece feels like a reminder that even in the most decorative and ornamental of arts, there is room for the unexpected, the personal.