Design for Five Vases 1765 - 1790

Editor: This is a design for five vases, dating back to between 1765 and 1790, currently residing at The Met. It's rendered with watercolor, drawing, and print. I’m struck by how the designs suggest a progression, from fully realized to barely outlined. What catches your eye about this piece? Curator: I find the material reality of this "Design for Five Vases" fascinating. Look at the paper itself - its likely handmade, of a specific weight and texture to accept the watercolor. Consider the pencil and watercolor: were they readily available, mass-produced, or costly and rare, reflecting a specific patron and context? Editor: That's an interesting point about the materials dictating its production! Curator: Precisely. This wasn't simply artistic inspiration; the production, sourcing, and inherent values imbued in the raw materials influence the artistic outcomes. What level of skill would be required to both create and execute this plan into porcelain or other finished product? Are they using assembly line processes in the 1700s? How much labour did each phase demand? It hints at broader issues of production and consumption during the late 18th century. Editor: So you're saying understanding the materials helps us understand the whole system around it. Curator: Absolutely. The choice of materials, the methods of their application, and even the depiction of the objects – all speak volumes about the socio-economic realities and power structures of that era, shifting boundaries between design, craft, and ‘high art’. Editor: I never thought of design that way before. Curator: Thinking about the art's manufacture alongside it artistic merit truly allows us a more grounded perspective, doesn't it? Editor: Definitely. Thanks for making me think about art more deeply!