Spring (part of a set of four) 1775 - 1785

Curator: What immediately strikes me is this lovely, somewhat melancholic stillness. It feels like a frozen moment just as everything’s bursting back to life. Editor: Here we have "Spring," one piece from a set of four seasonal figures, crafted between 1775 and 1785 by Neale & Co. This porcelain figure resides here at The Met. It's Rococo in style, celebrating nature and pastoral scenes. What are your thoughts on how it embodies that era? Curator: Well, the small scale emphasizes that delicate charm and domesticity so central to the Rococo. The idealized maiden offering flowers seems like an allegory, perhaps embodying concepts of fertility and feminine virtue intertwined with the burgeoning energy of Spring. The color palette—pastel with subtle accents—also evokes fragility. What's fascinating is its place within broader discourses of social representation. Do we see the aristocratic fantasies reflected here, or perhaps also a negotiation with emerging middle-class values through the themes of labor and nature's abundance? Editor: You’re right; that tension is palpable. The figure has this carefully constructed nonchalance but underneath is the quiet strength I find compelling. Almost like spring itself; tender yet fiercely resilient. But do you find, maybe just a touch, the industrial revolution’s shadow in that pristine uniformity? Curator: Absolutely! This era marked pivotal transformations, impacting production, labor, and power structures—all shaping these ostensibly benign artistic representations. Perhaps we must engage with these figurines beyond face-value beauty, discerning nuances of societal structures, including subtle power dynamics woven into their production. Editor: Agreed! The act of appreciating beauty, even within something so seemingly delicate, requires that kind of critical reflection, I think. And what feels incredibly modern is the layers of conversation this little sculpture has activated between us in 2 minutes!