Figure of a standing man 1775 - 1795

Ralph Wood the Younger created this earthenware figure of a standing man sometime in the late 18th century. Standing just 3 1/2 inches tall, the monochromatic green glaze might trick you into thinking that this is simply a decorative piece. But let’s consider this man’s attire; his simple woolen cap and working man’s coat speak volumes about class and labor in Georgian England. During this period, the working class was increasingly visible, and sometimes caricatured, in art and literature. Wood's choice to depict this figure, not as a hero but as an ordinary man, might reflect a growing awareness, or perhaps discomfort, with the changing social landscape. Is this figure an attempt to ennoble the common man, or does it reinforce existing social hierarchies? Perhaps the figure invites us to reflect on the lives of those whose labor fueled the burgeoning industrial revolution.