Design for Curtains 1841 - 1884

This graphite drawing of a curtain design was made by Charles Hindley and Sons. Though undated, the company was active during the Victorian era, a period defined by its elaborate aesthetics. Looking at the image, we can see a certain tension between ostentatious display and domestic comfort. The heavy ornamentation and rich fabrics signal wealth and status, while the curtains themselves provide privacy and warmth. What does it mean to bring the visual language of aristocratic power into the middle-class home? To answer that question, we might look to sources such as interior design magazines, trade catalogues, and household inventories from the period. These can reveal the aspirations and anxieties of a rapidly changing society, where traditional hierarchies were being challenged by new forms of wealth and social mobility. Ultimately, this drawing reminds us that even the most seemingly mundane objects can be loaded with social and cultural meaning.