Man 1735 - 1745

This small porcelain figure of a man was produced in Vienna. The figure’s dress and somewhat caricatured features, such as his beard, hat and small sword suggest that he is a type of stock character from the popular theater. Reflecting Vienna’s diverse cultural landscape, this little sculpture likely draws from the Commedia dell'Arte. These figures often played with stereotypes around gender, class, and regional identity. Consider how the figure’s costume and posture may have been perceived at the time, and how the artist both utilized and perhaps subverted those expectations. The figure's slightly degraded state makes me think about the fragility of cultural memory and the way that these small objects can carry so much historical information. How do you think this figure relates to our present-day understandings of identity and representation?