Design for a Vase (recto); Sketch of Small Vase (verso) 1747 - 1757

Editor: Here we have Jacques François Joseph Saly’s “Design for a Vase (recto); Sketch of Small Vase (verso),” from about 1747 to 1757, done with pen and ink. I'm struck by how the looseness of the drawing contrasts with what I imagine would be the rigidity of the actual, physical vase. What can you tell me about this drawing? Curator: This ink drawing offers insight into 18th-century artistic production. Note how Saly’s marks, made by a pen and with ink, attempt to delineate something luxurious - almost flaunting the distance between labor and commodity. Look at the material conditions informing its design - how it could be cast, what molds would be needed, what that implies for specialized labor? Editor: So you're saying it highlights the process rather than just the final aesthetic? Curator: Exactly! The sketchiness pulls back the curtain, displaying the nuts and bolts behind courtly taste. The materiality and creation, rather than the supposed "beauty," becomes paramount. Do you think this was ever actually produced, or remained a drawing? Editor: I'm not sure. The amount of detail suggests it was intended for production, maybe presented to a patron for commission. Does knowing it could be realized in bronze or porcelain affect your analysis? Curator: Not at all. Whether materialized or not, the drawing serves as a document of labor, social aspiration, and the hierarchies of craft and "high art." It embodies the dream and potential value embedded within the production of luxury. I find that the decorative arts serve as a key indicator of this division between labor and luxury. Editor: That’s fascinating. I had originally looked at it only in terms of style and form, but now I’m considering the societal context that fueled its creation. Curator: Precisely!