Eight Designs for Decorated Cups and Two Designs for Plate Rims 1845 - 1855

Curator: Oh, my, aren’t these sweet! Editor: Indeed. Before us we have a sheet titled “Eight Designs for Decorated Cups and Two Designs for Plate Rims” created by Alfred Henry Forrester between 1845 and 1855. It’s a mix of drawings and prints, primarily rendered in watercolor on paper. The collection is currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Curator: They have this wistful, almost antique quality that is so inviting. Like glimpses into a Victorian daydream about teatime. Editor: What strikes me is the sheer volume of labor embedded within these delicate designs. Think about the repetition involved in their prospective manufacture. Who would’ve executed these designs, and under what conditions? Curator: It's amazing how much these small pieces convey about their period. Number 10 for instance-- the way that floral rim meets the pure white body. You can almost smell the tea roses! The craftsmanship here, while suggesting mass production, maintains this air of unique, individual care. Don't you think? Editor: Perhaps...though I suspect there would have been strict aesthetic constraints from above. But look closer at, say, numbers 4 or 5: the regimented rows of stylized ornamentation; a direct output from industrial logic translated onto fragile, everyday objects. A bit contradictory, yes? Curator: I agree--a bittersweet paradox! Each design feels complete on its own but also hints at the lives of the artisans... and, perhaps, those who would drink from them. I find such hope within them, little vessels for optimism in a rapidly industrializing world. Editor: So while you find solace in its promise of a domestic utopia, I am reminded that these were made, most likely, by exploited labor. These designs carry the invisible fingerprints of the working class... the same who could most likely never afford the finished products they crafted! Curator: See, this is why I enjoy our art dates together! It's incredible how two entirely opposing perceptions can deepen our understanding and make for a rich shared reflection, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: Absolutely. Each view brings essential clarity and nuance to our viewing, a crucial contrast in navigating art and material realities.