Plaque: Portrait of William Pitt c. 1805

This is a plaque portraying William Pitt, created by the Wedgwood Manufactory, and currently held at the Art Institute of Chicago. The portrait is made of a white, porcelain-like material. The contrast between the cameo and the background emphasize the visual codes associated with power. William Pitt the Younger was a prominent British statesman in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, known for leading Britain during the Napoleonic Wars. This plaque could have been made as propaganda, celebrating Pitt's role in opposing Napoleon, or as a souvenir. Either way, it comments directly on the political structures of its time. We can understand this artwork better by researching the Wedgwood Manufactory and the distribution of portraits of Pitt during his lifetime. Art is contingent on social and institutional context.