Vier langwerpige tafels c. 1583

Pieter van der Borcht made this image of tables as an engraving sometime between 1560 and 1608. It’s part of a series of prints that shows furniture designs. Made in the Netherlands, this image reflects the rising merchantile class’s interest in domestic goods and interior design. Books of model prints were a popular way to circulate ideas for skilled artisans. These craftsmen would then realize the designs for wealthy patrons. Notice how some tables are more ornamented than others? This reflects social status and relative wealth. It’s worth remembering that the museum itself is an institution which circulates imagery. We can understand art like this more fully by researching the social and economic conditions of its time. Auction records, inventories of estates, and guild records can all help to illuminate the way images like this participated in a culture of early modern consumerism.