Plaque with Ornamentation 1776 - 1779

Thomas Hardwick created this ornamented plaque with etching in the late 18th century. It embodies the aspirations of an ascendant middle class in England. Hardwick was trained as an architect. He came from a long family line of architects, and he was master mason at St. Bartholomew's Hospital. His architectural work was very much in the classical style of the moment. So a work like this embodies the way that artists and designers in the 18th century were looking back to classical antiquity. They were appropriating that vocabulary of classical design for use in contemporary settings, and the effect of that was to associate their patrons with the power and prestige of classical antiquity. To understand the plaque, we need to delve into the visual culture of 18th-century England, including publications of architectural designs and pattern books. It's an excellent reminder that all art is rooted in a specific time and place.