Ontwerpen voor een ronde tafel op een drievoet 1831

Joachim-Pierre Blank created this design for a round table on a tripod, sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. As we can see, Blank has drafted multiple views of the same object in an attempt to produce a practical design. Architectural and design drawings such as these tell us a great deal about the social history of art and design. Note the scale at the bottom of the page: furniture makers would need very accurate specifications if they were to realize the designer's vision. Note also the many drawings on a single page; this suggests that design was considered part of a larger artisanal practice. What relationship would Blank have had with the furniture maker responsible for executing the final design? The history of design is often neglected in favor of fine art, but these drawings provide important resources that shed light on the production and reception of art and design.