War 1776 - 1794

Editor: This porcelain sculpture, "War," created between 1776 and 1794 by Dihl et Guérard, is incredibly detailed. The figure’s drapery seems to flow despite being a rigid material, but there's a stark contrast in the detailed base that offsets the simple beauty of the figurine. What aspects of this sculpture stand out to you the most? Curator: The neoclassical form dominates. Notice how the sculptor uses clean lines and idealized proportions, drawing from classical Greek and Roman aesthetics. The white porcelain enhances this effect, mimicking marble. The linear perspective gives form to the base as it highlights an overall formal simplicity and an emphasis on balance, symmetry, and order which underscores the essence of neoclassicism, does it not? Editor: It does! And that simplicity you mentioned makes the sword feel…almost out of place, drawing the eye and forcing you to see its detail in relation to the smoothness of the body. Is it supposed to shock? Curator: Perhaps. Consider the contrast between the delicate, almost fragile, medium of porcelain and the implied violence of war. It's this very tension, a deliberate visual dichotomy, that compels closer scrutiny. Would you not agree the materiality further intensifies the overall experience? Editor: Absolutely. I hadn’t considered the tension of porcelain, but I see that it isn’t just about the clean lines; the materials really do speak to a sort of… reserved violence. Thank you for that! Curator: Indeed. Through formal analysis, we decipher not only the sculptor's technical skill, but also the complex interplay of materials and forms. It gives meaning to what they have constructed.