Fragment of Frame Design (Recto); Sketch of a Man's Head in Profile (Verso) 17th - 18th century

This is a fragment of a frame design in pen and brown ink, with gray wash, created by an anonymous artist. The identity of the artist remains a mystery, as does the specific time and place of its creation. In the absence of this information, we might turn our attention to what the sketch reveals about the social and cultural contexts of its creation. Architectural drawings such as this one circulated among workshops and patrons; they offer insight into the hierarchies of labor and knowledge production during this period. We can consider how the design, with its elaborate ornamentation, reflects the values and aspirations of the patrons who commissioned such works. What did it mean to be a patron of the arts during the time this was created? What social and political messages were communicated through architecture and design? What does it mean to us now?