Three-leaf screen with gouache drawings 1800 - 1815

Editor: Here we have a "Three-Leaf Screen with Gouache Drawings" made sometime between 1800 and 1815. The blend of sculpture, painting and furniture design really intrigues me. Each panel shows flowers in vases. What is especially striking is the contrast between the dark wood and the bursts of colorful blossoms. How do you interpret this piece? Curator: This screen, it speaks of hidden messages doesn't it? Floral arrangements weren't mere decoration back then. Each flower held a symbolic weight, emotions whispered through carefully curated bouquets. The rose, naturally, signifies love, but look at its placement relative to other blooms, observe the type of vase it is in – are we speaking of passionate love or something more tempered? Editor: That's fascinating. I hadn’t thought about flowers as being coded. I see roses, definitely. What other symbols are you picking up? Curator: The three panels themselves are important. Do they present a narrative progression or do they offer three facets of a single idea? Think of the triptych in religious art, for example. Does the symmetry offer comfort, or is there a slight deviation on one of the panels which suggests asymmetry and imbalance? Look closely. What are you drawn to most? Editor: The vase in the middle panel looks almost like it has a bird's nest beneath it. Curator: Ah, excellent observation. Consider the implied fragility, the promise of new life, the caretaking. Think about how screens themselves function, as objects that simultaneously reveal and conceal. This piece invites us to consider what is openly displayed, and what remains just out of sight, both in the image and in our own lives. Editor: This has really changed how I look at it. Thank you! I hadn’t realized how much depth a seemingly simple decorative piece could have. Curator: Indeed, the beauty of these objects often lies in their capacity to hold the weight of history, emotions and hidden stories.