Vase 1800 - 1900

This is an ink drawing of a vase from an unknown artist. It resides at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The role of the anonymous artist is interesting; laboring in obscurity, their individual identity is subsumed within larger social structures of production and power. The vase is adorned with vegetal patterns. We are left to consider, what do they represent? Are they simply decorative, or do they speak to broader cultural meanings? The symmetry and classical shape of the vase speak to a visual language rooted in tradition and authority. Yet, the fact that this work is a drawing, and perhaps a design, suggests a transitional moment. Consider the emotional impact and cultural associations carried by these kinds of objects. While the drawing depicts the vase's physical form, we can imagine how it might be encountered in various settings, from intimate domestic spaces to grandiose public displays.