Elevation of a wall decorated with the dove of the holy ghost
second half 19th century
Medium
Elevation of a wall decorated with the dove of the holy ghost
Dimensions
sheet: 13 x 13 11/16 in. (33 x 34.7 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Dodge Fund, 1967
Accession Number
67.827.197
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the second half of the 19 century, French architects Jules-Edmond-Charlesachaise and Eugène Gourdet collaborated on this exquisite architectural drawing, titled *Elevation of a Wall Decorated with the Dove of the Ghost*. Rendered on a modest sheet measuring 13 x 13 11/16 inches (33 x 34.7 cm), it presents a precise frontal view—or "elevation"—of a decorative wall featuring the iconic dove, a timeless Christian symbol of the Holy Spirit often depicted with radiating rays of light to evoke divine inspiration. This work exemplifies the meticulous draftsmanship of 19th-century ecclesiastical a...
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...