Drie gietijzeren vazen van de Royal Prussian tentoongesteld op de Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations van 1851 in Londen 1851

C.M. Ferrier and F. von Martens made this photograph of three cast-iron vases from the Royal Prussian Foundry, shown at London’s Great Exhibition in 1851. This photograph hints at the complex interplay between art, industry, and national identity in 19th-century Europe. The Great Exhibition was a showcase of industrial might, and Prussia, seeking to establish itself as a modern power, presented these vases as examples of technological and artistic prowess. The choice of cast iron, an industrial material, to mimic classical forms reflects Prussia’s ambition to fuse tradition with progress. These objects are not merely decorative; they’re statements about Prussia’s place in the world. To fully understand these vases, we might research Prussian industrial policies and cultural institutions of the time. We could also study exhibition catalogues, newspapers, and diplomatic correspondence. Approaching art through social history reveals the cultural work it performs, shaped by institutions and broader historical forces.