Sofa 1857 - 1859

Pierre Cuypers made this design for a sofa with pencil on paper. Cuypers was a leading architect in the Netherlands during the 19th century, deeply engaged in the Gothic Revival movement. The Gothic Revival style drew inspiration from medieval art and architecture, particularly Gothic cathedrals, and was often employed in church design. Here, Cuypers translates those forms for domestic use. The pointed arches, decorative finials, and vertical emphasis are visual codes which reference the grandeur and spiritual associations of Gothic architecture. Made in a time of significant social change and industrialization, the Gothic Revival was often associated with a sense of national identity, religious revival, and a longing for a perceived simpler, more virtuous past. Architects like Cuypers often saw Gothic architecture as a uniquely Christian style, and its revival was linked to broader cultural and religious movements. Historians of art and design look to primary sources – architectural drawings, treatises, and social histories – to understand how such objects reflect and shape the values of their time.