Beggar 1728 - 1738

This is a porcelain Beggar figurine, created by the Meissen Manufactory in the early 18th century. The figure is striking, its materiality and form speaking volumes about the world it represents. The muted palette of browns, creams, and greens gives the figure an earthy, almost somber quality. The beggar's posture, with his hand outstretched, evokes a sense of vulnerability and supplication. The texture of the porcelain, smooth yet detailed, paradoxically emphasizes the rough and worn nature of the beggar's clothing. Consider how the figure destabilizes established meanings of wealth and poverty. By rendering a beggar in porcelain, a material associated with luxury and high status, the artwork challenges the fixed social categories of the time. This contrast invites us to reflect on the structures of power and representation inherent in art. The Beggar invites ongoing interpretation, where the aesthetic and the philosophical intersect.