Saucer 1774 - 1814

Editor: Here we have a saucer made by the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory, and it’s currently housed at the Harvard Art Museums. The floral design is so delicate and asymmetrical! What compositional elements stand out to you? Curator: The strategic placement of flora, considered in its use of negative space, is rather compelling. The eye is drawn across the form, activating the surface through the interplay of color and line. Editor: So the emptiness is as important as what’s painted on? Curator: Precisely. The relationship between the decoration and the porcelain itself shapes our perception, influencing how we visually navigate the object. Editor: I never thought about it that way. It’s like the emptiness defines the flowers. Curator: Indeed. The tension between these elements is what gives the piece its visual interest.