Houten lambrisering en plafond c. 1866 - 1900

Charles Claesen created this work, ‘Houten lambrisering en plafond’, as a technical drawing. The black ink on white paper gives it a stark, graphic quality. We see two distinct panels, one a vertical wall panel and the other a square ceiling design, both teeming with ornate, floral motifs that evoke a sense of historical opulence. Look closely at how Claesen uses line and form to create depth and texture. The symmetrical arrangement in the ceiling design, with its central rosette and floral quadrants, suggests a harmonious balance, almost a Platonic ideal of order. Yet, within this symmetry, the detailed, swirling lines of the foliage introduce a dynamic tension. This tension speaks to a broader intellectual theme: the interplay between structure and chaos. The rigid frame of each panel attempts to contain the organic exuberance of the natural forms, highlighting a struggle between control and freedom. The work invites us to question how we impose order on the world and how such order inevitably interacts with the unruly forces of nature. In this, Claesen offers not just a design, but a meditation on the fundamental dynamics of existence.