Wheel barometer 1765 - 1775

Curator: This object, a “Wheel Barometer” created sometime between 1765 and 1775 by John Whitehurst, really grabs your attention with its rather grand wood-carved frame, doesn't it? The attention to detail is incredible. What strikes you most about it? Editor: I think the ornate craftsmanship is amazing for a utilitarian object. What’s particularly interesting is how it elevates something functional—telling the weather—into this decorative object almost a piece of sculpture. Is that Baroque influence intentional to create such an interesting outcome? Curator: Absolutely. Think about the division of labor involved. Whitehurst likely didn't carve all that wood himself. The carving, the construction of the mechanism... How does that distribution affect our understanding of Whitehurst as the artist or creator? Also, the type of wood; where did that material come from and what sort of industry helped provide for such beautiful woodworking? These aren't questions we often ask when discussing "art" versus, say, furniture-making. Editor: That makes so much sense! So instead of thinking of it as just a scientific instrument or a piece of decorative art, we should really be considering all of the processes and materials that were necessary to make it. The baroque decorative elements hide the industrial complexities underneath. Curator: Exactly! It challenges this separation we artificially impose. Someone extracted, transported, processed, and transformed raw materials. Other individuals contributed in some fashion in order for this luxury good to function. The very materials chosen - high-quality woods – tell us something about access, consumption, and class. Editor: I guess I never considered all those steps, I just thought of it as a finished piece! Thanks for the new perspective! Curator: It highlights how deeply entwined art objects are with their material origins and the societal conditions that enable their creation. It is a reminder that things, however "precious," don't magically appear.