Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834) Possibly 1791

Editor: Here we have a jasperware medallion depicting Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, created by Wedgwood. It’s small and the monochrome makes it feel austere. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Wedgwood's jasperware was revolutionary, a result of intense material experimentation and industrial production. Think about the social context: these cameos democratized portraiture. Editor: Democratized? How so? Curator: They became accessible to a wider public through mass production, challenging the exclusivity of painted portraits for the elite. It's a material shift reflecting broader social changes. Editor: That’s a completely different perspective than I expected. I’ll never look at these the same way again.