Thirteen Designs for Decorated Cups 1845 - 1855

Alfred Henry Forrester rendered these thirteen designs for decorated cups with pen and watercolor on paper. The array of forms and chromatic schemes immediately draws the eye, each a variation on the vessel as canvas. Consider the interplay of geometric and organic motifs; the repetitive patterns, such as the delicate floral swags or the structured diamond lattices, function as signs within a visual language. Here, Forrester seems to investigate how surface ornamentation can transform a functional object into a carrier of meaning. These designs reveal an exploration into the semiotics of decoration. The variations in color and pattern suggest an engagement with how altering surface elements can shift the cup's symbolic weight, engaging with broader artistic and philosophical considerations about form and function. This is an open invitation to interpret and reinterpret the aesthetics of everyday objects.