Two Alternative Designs for a Mirror Stand 1698 - 1765

Editor: Here we have Giovanni Battista Natali's "Two Alternative Designs for a Mirror Stand," likely from sometime between 1698 and 1765. It's rendered in pen, ink, and watercolor, and even at this scale, the detail is amazing! All these flourishes – it feels so extra. How do you see the materiality and the act of creation playing into the importance of the design? Curator: Well, let’s consider the function of a mirror stand at this time. It’s not merely utilitarian; it’s a status symbol. Natali’s drawing, the ink and watercolor itself, points to the luxury good the finished product is intended to be. Think of the labor involved in creating something this ornate, versus a simple looking glass. How does the medium speak to the social and economic context of its intended use? Editor: It makes me wonder, who was he designing this for, and how would it be produced? Did Natali control the whole production process? Curator: Excellent question. It’s unlikely Natali himself would execute the stand. More likely he was providing designs for skilled artisans – furniture makers, perhaps even metalworkers, depending on the materials ultimately chosen. This drawing then becomes a sort of…instruction, but also a testament to his design labor and expertise. It shows a specific artistic value being placed on the process, and its intended translation to another medium. Consider too the ephemeral nature of the watercolor - how does that speak to the durability expected from the finished item? Editor: I hadn't thought about that! So the drawing is also sort of documenting the production and anticipating its finished state. Now I am also thinking about the cost for the finished stand versus that of just the design! Thanks! Curator: Precisely! We see the labor and intended materials as intrinsic to the value represented.