Cabinet Design 1800 - 1900

This cabinet design of unknown date was rendered by an anonymous artist in pen and ink, with watercolor, on blue paper. The choice of media influences the appearance of the sketch, giving it a light ethereal quality, while still allowing for precise details. It’s a working drawing, not a finished presentation rendering; you can see the design process right on the page. The anonymous artist likely engaged with the skilled traditions of drafting and technical drawing, alongside that of fine arts, to create the design. Although it is difficult to pinpoint exactly when the artwork was created, the drawing foreshadows an era of mass production. Furniture drawings like this would soon become essential to standardization, and to the division of labor necessary for large-scale manufacturing. Considering the materials, making, and context of this anonymous artwork challenges traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.