Sir Walter Raleigh after 1780

Curator: Here we have a bust of Sir Walter Raleigh, crafted by Wedgwood. Its lack of a date makes me wonder about its original context. Editor: The sheen on this piece is fascinating, it almost feels like metal but hints at something more processed. Curator: Wedgwood was a master of material innovation. He mass-produced ceramics, which made art accessible beyond elite circles, impacting social hierarchies of taste. Editor: Exactly! The labor involved in producing many copies democratized the image of Raleigh. It's not just about him anymore, but about Wedgwood's manufacturing process. Curator: Raleigh, a celebrated Elizabethan figure, was himself a product of political maneuverings and expansionist policies. This bust helped cement his legacy. Editor: So, we have an image of a colonizer reproduced through industrial means—a perfect encapsulation of power, production, and consumption. Curator: It's quite interesting how a relatively humble material like ceramic can carry such weight. Editor: Definitely, seeing Raleigh rendered this way makes you question both the man and the means of making his image so accessible.