Two Designs for Ceiling with Putti and Allegorical Figures of the Arts 1850 - 1900

Jules-Edmond-Charles Lachaise created this watercolor and graphite drawing, “Two Designs for Ceiling with Putti and Allegorical Figures of the Arts,” around 1920, a period of artistic reinvention following the trauma of World War I. It is impossible to ignore the historical context that would have informed Lachaise, born in Paris in 1897. After the war, Western art turned away from depicting grand historical narratives, instead turning inwards, exploring themes of identity and personal experience. In Lachaise’s piece we can see this artistic inwardness in the intimate scenes of cherubic figures set against the backdrop of grand allegorical motifs. The traditional depictions of idealized forms reflect a longing for a return to pre-war stability and order, yet we can see emerging a modern sensibility that values intimate, personal connection. Lachaise’s fusion of classical and emerging styles reflects a broader societal negotiation of the past and future. This piece invites reflection on what was lost during the war, and how that loss shaped both artistic and personal identity.