Design for Portion of Stairway in Chateau-sur-Mer, Newport, Rhode Island

Charles Salagnad's architectural rendering presents a design concept for an interior stairway at the prominent Newport mansion Chateau-sur-Mer. The drawing demonstrates the aesthetic principles of Gilded Age residential design, combining ornamental woodwork with landscape vistas. The composition shows a decorative wooden balustrade and paneling below a landscaped mural, framed by an arched opening. Such presentation drawings were essential tools for communicating design intent to patrons and builders during the nineteenth century, bridging artistic vision and architectural execution. The layered approach—combining hand-painted scenic elements with detailed architectural detailing—reflects the collaborative craftsmanship characteristic of high-style American interiors of this period.