Flagon 1685 - 1695

Curator: Let’s turn our attention to this stunning Baroque flagon, crafted between 1685 and 1695 by Abraham Helmhack. This piece resides here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: My initial reaction is one of striking delicacy; the form itself seems classical, and the grisaille painting lends an ethereal quality to the ceramic surface. Curator: Exactly, and Helmhack really engages with the cultural codes around display, gender and nature here. Note how the scene depicted revolves around ideas of nurturing and innocence, as well as religious themes. The central vignette represents a nurturing woman with a child, situated in a natural landscape with cherubic figures floating above. This could allude to allegories like charity or perhaps even maternal love embodied by the virgin and child. Editor: I’m also intrigued by the use of grisaille itself; it suggests a conscious emulation of sculptural relief in a two-dimensional medium. The artist is exploiting the formal contrasts – smoothness of the surface, subtle gradations of tone, dynamic interplay between light and shadow – to create an object of considerable visual complexity. Curator: The figuration exists amidst other details; floral arrangements above and stylized swirling patterns around the scene create a juxtaposition between nature, figuration, and decoration, hinting at both bounty and luxury which are not always accessible to the working class in the time. Editor: Yes, the symmetry of the botanical elements at the top provide a balance for the organic shape of the vessel, as do the stylized patterns towards the base. It’s also interesting to me how these elements don’t try to compete with the painted figuration; instead, they establish this decorative structure framing and accentuating it. Curator: In considering this piece in its broader context, we can observe the entwined histories of gender, the politics of the wealthy, and artistic practice, and explore how they converge in a seemingly decorative object. Editor: A detailed and considered reflection on form and its position as it connects to surface – as it relates to culture! Thank you for sharing your perspective.