Paperweight c. 1848 - 1855

This glass paperweight was made by the Compagnie de Saint Louis and is now housed at the Art Institute of Chicago. The most striking feature of the paperweight is the embedded flower, its pastel pink petals contrasting against a speckled blue ground, all encapsulated in glass. The composition is simple yet deliberate. The flower, slightly off-center, invites the eye to orbit around the piece. The flower, with its radiating petals, disrupts the flat surface of the glass. This contrast between the natural form and the geometric shape creates a tension, reflecting the interplay between organic and constructed realities. Consider the semiotics at play: the flower, a universal symbol of beauty and fragility, is encased in a solid, almost protective medium. This juxtaposition challenges the viewer to consider themes of preservation, artifice, and the human desire to capture and hold onto beauty. It is a philosophical game, and one without a fixed end.