Design for a Catafalque 1700 - 1800

This "Design for a Catafalque" was made anonymously, using pen and brown ink with gray wash over graphite. It’s a fleeting medium – ink on paper – and the drawing gives an impression of something solid and monumental: a catafalque, an elaborate, decorated structure that would hold the coffin during a funeral. What's striking is the contrast between the lightness of the materials and the weightiness of the subject. The architecture seems to rise, step by step, in a monument to someone of importance. The architecture is heavily ornamented, with small statues adorning the surfaces. Though the materials used are modest, the design evokes luxurious materials such as marble or bronze, and the expert craftsmanship required to produce such a structure. This contrast makes us consider the nature of labor and class. The designer is likely not of the class that would be celebrated, but is instead in service to it. This drawing reminds us that even in the most solemn occasions, there is a division of labor, where some create and others are memorialized. It blurs the boundaries between fine art and craft, inviting us to see the artistry inherent in design.