Design for Three Gothic Style Book Stands 1800 - 1850

This undated drawing presents three designs for Gothic-style book stands. The anonymous artist used graphite on paper to sketch out ideas for what might seem to be straightforward pieces of furniture. But the book stands are adorned with pointed arches and decorative finials, drawing on architectural styles of the medieval period. The Gothic Revival was a powerful cultural movement in the 18th and 19th centuries that looked back to the art and architecture of the Middle Ages. The movement was particularly strong in Britain, where leading intellectuals argued that medieval society was more spiritual, ordered, and communal than the modern world. Designs like this one reflect an interest in integrating aesthetic ideals into everyday life. Understanding this drawing means investigating the history of taste, design, and the institutions that promoted certain styles over others. Catalogues of design, architectural pattern books, and museum collections are all crucial resources for understanding this phenomenon.