Tile 1757 - 1761

This tin-glazed earthenware tile was made by John Sadler sometime in the 18th century. Sadler was known for his printed tiles in Liverpool, England. The image shows a casually posed couple sharing a paper under a tree. In the background is a grand house. The woman is simply dressed with bare shoulders. The man wears an academic cap and gown. The scene evokes a sense of pastoral leisure, but its visual cues speak to the gender and class dynamics of the time. Sadler mass-produced these tiles with transfer printing, a relatively new technology at the time. They were not fine art, but rather a way for middle-class consumers to bring fashionable images into their homes. These images were more affordable than paintings, but they also helped to solidify class aspirations and social norms. The tiles offered a glimpse into an idyllic world but maintained a vision of social hierarchy.