Twee kastdeuren before 1881

These two cupboard doors were anonymously printed in the 16th century. At this time, fine household objects were considered of great civic importance in Northern Europe and often made their way into printed books. Here, the design is presented as an ideal, a model for aspiring artisans to imitate. Note the roundels, locks and pillars, all rendered in careful detail, suggesting the doors were objects of considerable value, perhaps even heirlooms passed down generations. These doors were built into the walls of a marriage hall in a town hall in the Low Countries. But the fact that we know this image not from the object itself but through a printing press in Antwerp raises important questions. What role do images play in shaping the taste and social values of its audience? And how might one research these questions further? Perhaps archival records of the marriage hall itself would reveal the real-world social status of these doors.