Amphitrite with Cupid (one of a pair) 1765 - 1785

Here we see 'Amphitrite with Cupid', a ceramic figure made by Ralph Wood the Younger. Standing just over 10 inches tall, it presents a vision of classical mythology rendered in the soft hues of 18th-century Staffordshire pottery. The composition centers on Amphitrite, goddess of the sea, draped in flowing robes of blue and green. Cupid stands beside her, creating a vertical rhythm. The figures are set against a stylized dolphin, its form echoing the curves of Amphitrite's body, all mounted on an ornate base. The interplay of form and color directs our gaze, but it is the semiotic dimension that truly engages us. The sculptural treatment of the figures, their idealized forms, invites us to consider the codes of beauty and power circulating in late 18th century European culture. It challenges the fixity of classical ideals through its playful execution. The figure destabilizes traditional artistic hierarchies, as the detailed ceramic work elevates a domestic object to the level of high art. It encourages us to decode the signs of its creation, to see it as a cultural artifact.