Plate with an image of The Parasol Lady c. 1736 - 1738

This plate with an image of The Parasol Lady was anonymously made. The artist and the date of this plate are unknown. Looking at the image, we can see a lady being sheltered by a parasol held by another figure. The two figures are in a landscape with storks and tall grass. It is difficult to know whether this plate was made in China for use in Europe, or in Europe in imitation of Chinese designs, a fashion known as Chinoiserie. Either way, the plate reflects the strong impact of Chinese aesthetics on European design in the 18th century. Given the anonymity of the maker, the image asks important questions about the institutional history of art. Was this a craftsperson following a prescribed design, or an artist with their own vision? Was the maker Chinese, European, or somewhere else altogether? These are the kinds of questions we can ask when we put social and institutional histories together with close looking at the artwork itself.