Design for a Gothic Style Mirrored Cabinet 1800 - 1850

This is a design for a Gothic Style Mirrored Cabinet, made with pen and watercolor on paper by an anonymous artist. It reflects the 19th-century Gothic Revival, a movement that sought to reintroduce the aesthetics and values of the medieval era. We can imagine the design as more than a piece of furniture. In its time, it represented a cultural longing for a past perceived as more authentic and spiritually rich than the increasingly industrialized present. Think about this object in a domestic space, reflecting the faces of those who commissioned it. The intricate details and pointed arches mirror the architectural features found in cathedrals, so it’s a design that invited contemplation. Consider how a mirrored cabinet also speaks to identity and self-perception. Who are we when we gaze into such an ornate mirror? What aspects of ourselves are we meant to see, or perhaps, to overlook? This cabinet is not just a design, it’s an invitation to reflect on the values we project onto objects and, ultimately, onto ourselves.