Peddler 1745 - 1755

Editor: This delightful porcelain sculpture titled "Peddler," from the Capodimonte Porcelain Manufactory circa 1745-1755, depicts a man carrying a tray. There's a certain delicacy to it, almost a fragility. What social dynamics do you see reflected in this work? Curator: What strikes me is the performative aspect of labour displayed here. Think about the context: porcelain during this period was an aspirational commodity. So, what does it mean to represent a ‘peddler’, a figure of labor, in this prized material? Does it ennoble his profession, or subtly reinforce class divisions by miniaturizing and containing him within a delicate, easily breakable form, turning labour into spectacle for the elite consumer? Editor: That’s a great point; framing him within the broader socio-economic system changes my view of the piece. I hadn't considered porcelain as a marker of status in that way. The sculpture becomes less about the individual and more about the societal power structures at play. But how do you interpret his stance, almost like a little dance step? Curator: That flamboyant stance contributes to this performance. Consider the clothing, too; an idealised representation. We might examine it through the lens of gender and performance as well: is there something performatively masculine about it, particularly when presented in such a decorative manner, almost theatrical in its elegance? Perhaps we can question the representation of labour itself and who has the power to represent whom. Editor: So the “Peddler” then becomes a symbol, a carefully constructed representation that reflects the complex and often unequal relationships between classes during that time? I'll never look at porcelain figurines the same way again. Curator: Precisely. By viewing the work through a critical lens that examines socio-historical contexts and issues of representation, we reveal so much more than a decorative object.