Design for an awning over a door, in Moorish style

Art Historical Context

This delicate design for an awning over a door showcases the collaborative talents of Jules-Edmond-Charles Lachaise and Eugène-Pierre Gourdet, French artists active during the nineteenth century. Rendered in pen and ink brush and wash and watercolor on laid paper, the drawing captures intricate Moorish-inspired motifs, including delicate arches and ornamental patterns that evoke the architectural traditions of Islamic Spain and North Africa. Mounted on blue wove paper, the work highlights the artists’ attention to both structure and decorative detail, transforming a functional element into an elegant architectural statement. Created between 1830 and 1897, the piece reflects the period’s widespread fascination with exotic and historical styles, often seen in European design and interior decoration. Such drawings served as practical proposals for patrons, demonstrating how light, color, and pattern could enhance everyday spaces like doorways. Today, it offers visitors a glimpse into the meticulous process behind ornamental art, preserved in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection of drawings and prints.

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...