Dinner Plate 1879

This dinner plate, made by Félix Bracquemond, presents a fascinating look into 19th-century French decorative arts, a period marked by both industrial progress and artistic innovation. In a time when the decorative arts were often dismissed as less significant than ‘high art,’ Bracquemond elevated the everyday object by infusing it with artistic expression. His designs, influenced by Japanese prints, disrupted traditional European aesthetics and embraced a more organic, asymmetrical style. The floral motif, with its delicate lines and muted colors, speaks to a growing interest in naturalism and the beauty of the natural world. But beyond its aesthetic appeal, this dinner plate also raises questions about gender and domesticity. Who used this plate? What kinds of conversations took place around it? By considering these questions, we can begin to unpack the complex social and cultural dynamics of the time.