Design for the decoration of a beamed ceiling

Art Historical Context

In the grand tradition of 19th-century French decorative arts, *Design for the Decoration of Beamed Ceiling* (ca. 1840–97) by Jules-Ed-Charles Lachaise and Eugène-Pierre Gourdet the opulence of Second Empire interiors. These collaborative architects and designers envisioned elaborate ceiling treatments for affluent homes or public spaces, where exposed wooden beams were transformed into canvases of intricate ornamentation. The drawing reflects the era's fascination with historicism, blending neoclassical motifs with lavish embellishments to evoke Renaissance grandeur. Rendered in graphite, watercolor, and shimmering gold paint on wove paper—then meticulously inlaid into blue wove paper for preservation—this preparatory study showcases masterful mixed-media techniques. Graphite provided precise lines for architectural details, while watercolor added depth and gold leaf-like highlights mimicked the luster of finished gilded surfaces. Such drawings were essential tools for clients and craftsmen, bridging imagination and execution in an age of ambitious interior design. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (acquired via the Dodge Fund in 1967), this work highlights the artistry behind everyday luxury. It invites us to appreciate how sketches like these shaped the gilded ceilings that still dazzle in historic Parisian salons today.

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...