Design for Stable Arches, Hôtel Candamo

Art Historical Context

This delicate architectural drawing, *Design for Stable Arches Hôtel Candamo* (ca. 1873), by French designers Jules-Edmond- Lachaise and Eug-Pierre Gourdet, offers a glimpse into the engineering artistry of 19th-century. Created for a luxurious hotel project—likely inspired by the opulent hôtels particuliers of Paris during the Second Empire—the sheet meticulously details innovative arch structures designed for maximum stability. Such designs reflect the era's fascination with iron and stone construction, blending structural rigor with aesthetic grandeur amid rapid urban transformation. Rendered in pen and black ink with watercolor on paper (14 7/8 x 10 5/8 in.), the work exemplifies the precision of architectural drafting. Fine ink lines delineate forms with mathematical accuracy, while subtle watercolor washes add tonal depth, simulating light and shadow on curved vaults. This mixed-media technique was essential for communicating complex ideas to builders and patrons, bridging the gap between two-dimensional plans and three-dimensional reality. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Dodge Fund, 1967), this piece highlights how drawings like these were vital precursors to iconic buildings, showcasing the harmonious marriage of functionality and beauty in Gilded Age architecture. A testament to collaborative ingenuity, it invites us to appreciate the hidden artistry behind enduring structures.

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...