Five Designs for Decorated Plates 1845 - 1855

Alfred Henry Forrester created this watercolor sheet of plate designs in the 19th century. The designs command attention through their circular format, which presents a duality: part functional blueprint, part aesthetic exploration. Each design uses symmetry to create a balanced composition, yet this balance is disrupted by variations in color and pattern, which creates a playful tension between order and chaos. Forrester employs a limited palette with pastels and bold red, enhancing the decorative quality and challenging the traditional hierarchy between fine and decorative arts. The patterns oscillate between the organic and the geometric, suggesting a dialogue between nature and design. Ultimately, the formal arrangement of these designs on a single sheet encourages us to consider the relationships between them, and their function within design and artistic expression. This juxtaposition destabilizes fixed meanings, and prompts ongoing interpretation and re-interpretation.