Design for Four Vases 1765 - 1790

This is a design for four vases, made by an anonymous artist. Although undated, we might situate the work within a longer history of decorative art. Here, design and ornamentation are not just aesthetic considerations, but become deeply entangled with societal structures of class, power, and privilege. The vases, with their delicate lines and classical allusions, invite us to consider the luxury and refinement sought by the elite. They also prompt reflection on the labor and resources required to produce such objects. Who would own these, and what would it mean to display them? What kind of social relations do objects like this support? Imagine these vases adorning the halls of a grand estate, symbols of wealth and status. Consider how these designs might perpetuate or challenge prevailing notions of beauty and taste. What stories do these forms tell, and whose voices remain unheard in their elegant silence?