Tray c. 1850

Editor: This is a beautiful tray, created around 1850 by Jennens and Bettridge, currently held at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The gold embellishments pop so much on the dark background. I’m struck by how the artist created this dreamy landscape right here in the middle of a tray! How do you read this tray? Curator: Well, let's consider this landscape depicted on a functional object. It isn't just a landscape; it's a _representation_ of a landscape carefully positioned within a circular compositional logic. The peacock, fountain, flowers -- their placement dictates how our eyes move across the piece, from left to right, then to the central ground. How does that structured organization affect the viewer’s perception? Editor: I guess I never really thought of it that way, but that peacock does sort of demand my attention at the start. Then I travel through that dark edge that is heavily decorated with golden features to that soft colored, less dense space where the fountain appears... So the objects depicted almost serve a secondary purpose? Curator: Precisely! Notice the careful symmetry established in the botanical depiction that frames the objects and background. This dictates not only how the artist envisioned the scenery to be observed but also invites questions about structure, organization and the composition. How does this conscious act enhance the tray's purpose? Editor: It sounds like it is to force the viewer to pause and appreciate the craft and artistic effort? I suppose, I tend to see art as separate from an object like a tray. I can see now that it might not be that simple to divorce the decorative aspects from artistic expression! Curator: Exactly, a work is more than just its components and meanings. How it’s assembled tells a tale in itself. Editor: This has truly been eye-opening. I'll never look at decorative art the same way again.