Model of a Heating Furnace c. 1820 - 1850

This is a model of a heating furnace made by Rijkswerf Rotterdam. Its purpose speaks volumes about the culture that produced it. We might easily overlook such an object, but in its own way it represents the increasing specialization of labor and the rationalization of industry during the modern period. Rotterdam, a port city in the Netherlands, underwent massive industrial expansion in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and an object such as this reflects a new way of thinking about manufacturing. Rather than building in the abstract, scale models allowed engineers to test their designs before committing to costly construction. The model itself is rendered in simple, unadorned shapes, suggesting a practical, utilitarian aesthetic. Objects such as this demonstrate the need to study art as a product of its social and economic conditions. By researching the archives of institutions such as Rijkswerf Rotterdam, we can gain a greater understanding of the history of art, technology, and labor.