Dish of a butter tub with a cityscape and bouquets c. 1778

This delicate butter tub dish, decorated with a cityscape and bouquets, was crafted by Doornik. The images on this dish offer us a window into the world of its time, reflecting the values and aspirations of the rising merchant class who sought to display their wealth and taste through refined objects. The floral motifs, rendered in soft blues and golds, frame a central scene, and evoke an idealized vision of country life. We can see the commodification of nature that was so prevalent in the decorative arts. But let us also consider the unseen labor that went into producing such an object. While the dish speaks of leisure and luxury, it also speaks to the hands of the artisans who shaped and painted it. It represents a complex web of social relations, one that intertwines beauty and privilege with labor and production.