Tile 1757 - 1761

Curator: So, here we have an English tile, dating from between 1757 and 1761, crafted by John Sadler. It resides here at the Metropolitan Museum. What strikes you about it first? Editor: I see a very ordered and stylized landscape; very pretty but very theatrical. Almost like a stage set with these figures acting out a pastoral scene. A shepherd, a shepherdess, a little dog... all contained within that elaborate border. Curator: Indeed, a rather contained world. I am drawn to that border, too – such a profusion of floral and almost confectionary detail framing a quite simple vignette. It feels characteristic of the Rococo era. Editor: Exactly! Those cherubic faces and the vine-like embellishments point toward a yearning for something idealized. Even the shepherd and shepherdess don't look particularly weathered. No farm grime on *their* hands, it seems! What about you? Curator: Absolutely! And in terms of cultural memory, there's a real echo here of those earlier pastoral paintings that depict an idealized, leisurely existence. But also notice that these tiles are often used in very humble domestic spaces like kitchens and dairies! Such an aspiration... Editor: The juxtaposition is fascinating. Luxury design made reproducible and affordable. It's the beginnings of mass culture democratizing aspiration. And the dog...he is just lying there listening to the music, it is a window into the mind-set of that era. Curator: What a beautiful observation; indeed. It almost allows for this idea that there should be time for leisure and appreciation, even in the midst of what must have often been grueling, labor-intensive work. Editor: Perhaps tiles like this served as a daily reminder of beauty, a small luxury in a busy life. That tension between art and utility. I hadn’t thought about that so closely. Curator: And on reflection, it adds yet another layer to a quite simple scene.