Bullfinch (one of a pair) 1744 - 1755

Editor: This is a porcelain sculpture from the Vincennes Manufactory, sometime between 1744 and 1755. It depicts a bullfinch perched on what looks like a tree trunk. There's a charming fragility about it, almost as if it might take flight at any moment. What can you tell me about its place in the broader art world? Curator: Well, let's think about where this bullfinch sat, both literally and figuratively. Vincennes, and later Sèvres, porcelain manufactories were deeply intertwined with the French court. King Louis XV himself granted them protection and even allowed Madame de Pompadour, his mistress, significant influence over production. The "charm" you perceive is deliberate, meant to embody Rococo sensibilities, catering to the aristocracy's taste for luxury and naturalism, but nature meticulously tamed for display. Editor: So, it’s less about observing nature and more about… status? Curator: Precisely. Consider the cost and skill required to produce such an intricate object in porcelain at this time. Owning these pieces signaled wealth, refined taste, and proximity to power. Bird imagery was extremely popular during the Rococo. Birds were seen as beautiful ornaments for domestic spaces, also the idea of capturing and owning nature’s beauty in this way was very seductive to the Aristocracy. Do you think the placement of this bird in a modern museum shifts that power dynamic? Editor: That’s an interesting question. Now that it’s in the Met, on display for everyone, its original message of exclusivity is somewhat lost, replaced perhaps by a more general appreciation for craftsmanship. It makes me wonder if those who made the objects would think of it differently too. Curator: I would think so too. I agree, the context of the museum undoubtedly redefines it, prompting us to question the shifting sands of value and audience over time. This bird takes on new meaning in the space that is now an institution, democratising its audience to the public rather than a chosen few.