Two Tables 1655

Pieter Hendricksz. Schut created this drawing titled, 'Two Tables', using pen and brown ink, sometime between 1619 and 1660. The meticulous lines detail ornate baroque tables, each showcasing a different structural approach. The upper table is supported by intricately carved legs, adorned with florid faces and a garland, offering a broad, horizontal presence. The lower table, in contrast, rises from a single, stout pedestal that splits into three s-shaped supports, creating a sense of dynamic balance. Schut’s use of line and form suggests more than mere furniture design; it evokes a dialogue between horizontal stability and vertical tension, mirroring the baroque period’s own aesthetic balancing act between classical restraint and expressive exuberance. This work exemplifies how simple lines can delineate complex forms and reflect cultural values, inviting us to consider how functional objects embody artistic and philosophical ideas.