Altaren 1837 - 1921

Pierre Joseph Hubert Cuypers made this sketch, Altaren, using graphite on paper. What we have here is not an end in itself, but rather a record of the artist’s thought process. Note the delicacy of the graphite, and the way Cuypers used it to capture the intricate details of his design. The ethereal quality of the graphite lends the sketch a dreamlike quality, and the multiple viewpoints suggest a mind working through a problem. This drawing offers insight into 19th-century design and craft. Altars like these were often the result of many hands, involving highly skilled stone carvers, woodworkers, and metalworkers. Cuypers, as the architect, would have overseen this labor-intensive process, ensuring that the final product met his vision. This drawing reminds us of the amount of work involved in the production of these objects. It challenges the hierarchy between art and craft, urging us to appreciate the skill, labor, and design thinking embedded in such creations.