Design for a ceiling
second half 19th century
Medium
Graphite, gouache, and watercolor
Dimensions
Overall: 10 7/8 x 8 9/16 in. (27.6 x 21.8 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Dodge Fund, 1967
Accession Number
67.827.478
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate *Design for a Ceiling* French artists Jules-Edmond-Charlesachaise and Eugène-Pierre Gourdet dates to the half of the 19th century, a time when ornate interiors flourished in Europe amid rapid urbanization and grand architectural projects. Measuring just 10 7/8 x 8 9/16 inches (27.6 x 21.8 cm), this preparatory drawing captures the meticulous planning behind luxurious ceiling decorations, blending intricate ornamental motifs that would have adorned palaces, theaters, or public halls. Crafted in graphite, gouache, and watercolor, the work showcases a masterful mix of techniques: g...
About the Artist
Jules-Edmond-Charles Lachaise|Eugène-Pierre Gourdet · 1897–1897
Jules-Edmond-Charles Lachaise, born Jules Lachaise on September 2, 1836, in Paris, emerged as a prominent French painter and draughtsman specializing in lavish interior decorations during the Second Empire and beyond. Little is known about his early life and formal training, though he married Berthe Gourdet in 1866, forging a close professional partnership with her brother, the decorator Eugène-Pi...