Plate 1515 - 1525

Editor: This is a ceramic plate made between 1515 and 1525 by the Vulcan painter. It is currently located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The colors are so vibrant, and I'm struck by the repeating bird motifs around the rim. How would you interpret this plate, and what catches your eye? Curator: I’m drawn to how this ceramic piece collapses the boundary between 'fine art' and the supposedly lesser category of 'decorative art.' Think about the material: humble clay transformed through skilled labor and technological processes – firing, glazing, painting. What social needs did this production meet? Editor: That's a really interesting point about "social needs," not just decorative. The level of detail and obvious skill does elevate it, but considering its practical function… it shifts things. I had assumed these Renaissance plates were solely for wealthy patrons. Curator: Precisely! While these types of wares might have been destined for elite tables, the creation of this "luxury" item relies on an entire industry of skilled and unskilled labor. From mining the raw materials to the potter's wheel to the painter's hand, think of the bodies and the economics involved in bringing this object into being. What does that say about our understanding of "artistic genius" in this period? Editor: That's insightful. Viewing it in terms of the labor and processes gives it new layers of meaning beyond just aesthetics. Now, I’m wondering about the specific techniques the artist employed. Curator: And that is key: looking closely at the materials, process, and networks of production that were essential to Renaissance artistic and cultural output challenges our perception of what is valuable and who creates value. Thanks for highlighting it with your curiosity. Editor: Thank you! Considering the making process really transforms how I see the plate – less a display of individual genius, and more a record of interconnected work.