Schotel, beschilderd met pluimvee in een landschap c. 1782 - 1784

This is a Loosdrecht porcelain plate, decorated with fowl in a landscape. These plates speak to the culture of collecting that defined the eighteenth century; objects like these functioned as conversation pieces among the wealthy. Consider how the pursuit of natural history intersected with colonial expansion. Images of exotic birds, like this one, fuelled European fantasies of distant lands ripe for exploitation. The depiction of wildlife was not neutral; it reflected a desire to categorize and control the natural world, often with devastating consequences for indigenous populations and ecosystems. Such artworks offered a window into the complex dynamics of trade, power, and representation that shaped the early modern world. How do we reconcile the beauty of the craftsmanship with the troubling historical context it embodies?