Design for a decoration of Walldoors. 1700 - 1780

This is an anonymous design for a decoration of walldoors made with graphite on paper. The drawing presents two doors or entrances, each richly adorned with baroque-style ornamentation. The symmetrical design and elaborate carvings evoke a sense of grandeur, reflecting the values of hierarchy, order and display of wealth and status within the society that produced it. Made at a time when the arts served to reinforce the power of both church and state, we might ask if this design was intended for a palace, church or other official building. It is impossible to say definitively without more evidence of the image’s social origins and destination. To fully understand this piece, we need to consider the social institutions of the time and understand who commissioned and enjoyed such designs and in what ways. This requires us to consider the economic systems that enabled such patronage, and the political systems that such artistic commissions were intended to promote.