Design for a Tabernacle 17th century

Pierre Puget created this pen and brown ink drawing, “Design for a Tabernacle,” sometime in the 17th century. Tabernacles in this period functioned as highly decorated architectural structures and served as a safe place to house the Eucharist. Here, you'll notice a sketch that gives a sense of the imposing scale and elaborate ornamentation that was required. Puget's design exemplifies the Baroque style popular in France at the time. The Catholic Church was a major patron of the arts, and the Baroque style served its Counter-Reformation agenda through displays of splendor, meant to impress and overwhelm the viewer, reinforcing the Church’s authority. In order to develop a deeper understanding of Puget’s drawing, one might look to period documents such as church records, architectural treatises, and artists’ biographies to better understand the cultural values and artistic conventions of Baroque France.