Altaar, Velddriel 1857 - 1859

Pierre Cuypers made this pencil drawing, Altaar, Velddriel. It depicts the design for an altar in the Netherlands. As a designer and architect, Cuypers played a pivotal role in the 19th-century Gothic Revival movement, a period marked by renewed interest in medieval art and architecture. This drawing reflects the values of the movement in its attempt to revive the glory of the middle ages. The revival took place as a response to the social transformations and industrial expansion of the 19th Century. The altar and its architectural setting, were an assertion of the values of pre-industrial society. To understand Cuypers and his art better, we could turn to sources such as architectural journals, religious publications, and records of the guilds and societies to which he belonged. These could provide insight into the cultural and institutional factors that informed his artistic choices. Through this kind of social-historical enquiry, the meaning of art becomes contingent on its social and institutional context.