The Peep Show, or the Magic Lantern (La Curiosité ou La Lanterne Magique) c. 1757

This delicate, porcelain sculpture, "The Peep Show, or the Magic Lantern," was created by the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres. During the 18th century, the rise of porcelain manufactories coincided with an emerging culture of curiosity and scientific exploration. This piece captures a sense of wonder, depicting three children engrossed in a "peep show," or magic lantern, a popular form of entertainment that utilized lenses and light to project images. What does it mean to be a viewer? The children are arranged to allow us, the museum visitor, a privileged, if voyeuristic, view. The all-white porcelain gives this playful scene a cool restraint. The children’s intense focus invites us to consider our own acts of looking, and the gendered nature of curiosity and spectacle. What do they see? What do we see? Are they the same?