Atlas of the World 18th–19th century

This is a porcelain sculpture of Atlas holding the world, crafted by the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory. Reflecting on this piece, it's impossible to ignore the weight of colonial history embedded in its symbolism. Atlas, a figure from Greek mythology condemned to carry the world, here bears a globe meticulously painted with the continents as they were understood—or rather, as they were mapped and claimed—during the height of European exploration and empire. The delicate porcelain, a luxury good, speaks to the economic systems that underpinned colonial ventures, while Atlas’s weary posture hints at the burden of such enterprises. Does he carry the weight of the world, or the weight of the world’s sins? Consider how the act of mapping itself was an assertion of power, shaping not only geographical understanding but also political realities. The Atlas becomes a poignant reminder of the intertwined histories of knowledge, power, and representation.