Panel from the Palace of Westminster 1842 - 1852

This oak panel was designed by Augustus Pugin, likely sometime in the 1840s, for the new Palace of Westminster. The straight grain of the wood is skillfully carved with vertical ribs, intersected by stylized floral motifs. But why make it by hand? Pugin was at the forefront of the Gothic Revival style. The style valued handcraftsmanship as a moral imperative. For Pugin and others, the alternative of industrial production was problematic, tied to exploitation of labor and shoddy goods. Interestingly, the commission to design the interior of the Palace of Westminster was itself a massive industrial undertaking, involving hundreds of builders and tradespeople, all working to a tight schedule and budget. The paradox is clear: even as Pugin and his followers sought to enshrine the values of handcraft, they were inevitably caught up in the very modes of production they sought to critique. So, next time you see a handcrafted object, remember that it is not simply a thing of beauty, but also a product of complex social and economic forces.