Pair of goats 1759 - 1782

These are a pair of goats made by Anthoni Pennis, their date is unknown. They are earthenware with a lead glaze. The recumbent goats are mirror images of one another, posed as if alert to something in the distance. The artist paid keen attention to the texture of their coats, rendered with incised lines and subtle gradations of color. This creates a tactile quality, inviting the viewer to imagine the feel of the animal’s fur. The choice of earthenware speaks to the work's intended audience and purpose. Earthenware, being less refined than porcelain, suggests a connection to everyday life rather than courtly display. Here the goats were likely conceived as decorative objects for a bourgeois interior. Their domestic placement challenges the rigid hierarchies of materials and value prevalent in art and society. These earthenware goats occupy a space between nature and artifice, challenging our notions of representation and the value we place on different materials and forms.