Design for Ceiling at Fontainebleau
Medium
Graphite and gouache
Dimensions
14 1/8 x 4 7/8 in. (35.8 x 12.4 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Dodge Fund, 1967
Accession Number
67.827.125
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the grand architectural dreams of 19th-century France with *Design for Ceiling at Fontainebleau*, a delicate preparatory drawing by Jules-mond-Charles Lacha and Eugène-Pierre Gour (ca. 1850–1910). This compact work, measuring just 14 1/8 x 4 7/8 inches, captures an ornate ceiling scheme for the storied Palace of Fontaineble—a royal residence that hosted kings from Francis I to Napoleon and underwent lavish 19th-century restorations. Such designs were vital blueprints for opulent interiors, guiding artisans in crafting frescoes, stucco, and gilding that evoked Renaissance splendor ami...
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...