Bidbank en een kandelaar 1857 - 1859

This is a design drawing of a box pew and a candlestick, made by Pierre Cuypers. Cuypers was a towering figure in the nineteenth-century Gothic Revival movement in the Netherlands. The drawing provides a glimpse into the era's fascination with recreating a romanticized medieval past. The church was a central site for shaping collective identity, and Cuypers' designs aimed to create spaces that evoked a sense of historical continuity and religious reverence. The box pew, with its enclosed structure, speaks to notions of privacy and social hierarchy within the church community. The candlestick, an object meant to hold and display light, is also related to the way the space is used and experienced. Consider how Cuypers' architectural designs served as a stage for the performance of faith and social roles, reflecting the complex interplay between identity, history, and place.