Ontwerp voor een spiegeltrumeau c. 1820 - 1823

This delicate design for a mirror was made by Carl Wilhelm Marckwort, using graphite and watercolor on paper. Note the precise, clean lines, and the careful rendering of classical architectural elements. This trumeau, or pier glass, was intended to be mounted on a wall between windows, as part of a larger interior scheme. The artist was trained as a furniture maker, but the drawing represents a different kind of labor: the intellectual effort of design. Here, Marckwort is not just dictating the object’s appearance but also planning its construction. This drawing would have been presented to a patron, or perhaps used as a guide by other craftsmen, like joiners, carvers, and gilders, who would have then executed the design in wood and glass. The drawing stands as a testament to the collaborative nature of design in the 18th century. It reminds us to consider the diverse skill sets and the hierarchical labor relations that would ultimately bring such an object into being.