Tray 1780 - 1790

This tray was produced by the Royal Porcelain Manufactory, established in Berlin in 1763 by King Frederick the Great. Imagine for a moment the landscape in the late 18th century. It was a time of immense social stratification, when decorative objects like this tray, were commissioned and owned by the elite. Produced by skilled artisans, who were mostly anonymous, the tray embodies the opulence of aristocratic life. The painting on the tray is likely a romanticized view of a rural landscape, a respite from the political and social turbulence of the time. It brings up questions of whose land is being depicted, and who had access to such idealized landscapes. Objects such as this can offer us insight into how societies create idealized versions of themselves, and what is often left out of those representations.