Ontwerp voor een hoekkast c. 1820 - 1823

This detailed drawing was made by Carl Wilhelm Marckwort, and it depicts a design for a corner cabinet. Look closely and you’ll see that it's meticulously rendered in pencil. It includes a front elevation and a plan view from above. As a design, it anticipates a specific object. The final cabinet would have been made of wood using techniques of joinery, carving, and finishing. The drawing translates into the labor of a cabinetmaker. These skills are acquired through years of practice. The transformation of raw materials into functional forms highlights human agency. The social context of this work involves the culture of artisanal production. The design reflects an investment in craftsmanship and the creation of objects for domestic use. Such designs are often overlooked within the traditional hierarchy of art history. But this challenges the distinction between art and craft, and shows how materials, making, and context are crucial to understanding objects.