Ontwerp voor een preekstoel c. 1750 - 1770

This is Peter Bodechtal's design for a pulpit. It is rendered in pen and ink, with watercolor washes, on paper. What interests me most is the relationship between this drawing, the labor required to produce it, and the labor that would have been required to realize it in three dimensions. The design itself suggests a high degree of skill, particularly in creating this trompe-l'oeil effect. But the true value of the design is only apparent when we consider the skilled labor it would take to translate these marks into carved wood, gilded, and installed in a church. The question then becomes: whose labor is valued, and why? Bodechtal's design work is valuable because it directs the craftsmanship of the makers. He organizes and controls the whole process, becoming the author of the final piece. By paying attention to the modes of production, we recognize that this drawing, while seemingly simple, actually represents a complex hierarchy of skills and social relations.