Plate 1739 - 1749

This ceramic plate was made by the Moustiers Potteries, but when exactly remains a mystery. The scene at its center depicts what seems to be a pastoral fantasy, one meant to evoke an idyllic past. But what is being said here about society? The plate is trying to evoke a distant Golden Age. In its use of light coloring and curving lines, the piece has a delicate touch which evokes the luxury of the Ancien Régime. However, the lack of information about the time it was made suggests that this object was made in the image of the past. Perhaps it critiques the institutions of art by recreating a style that was once popular. Historians are able to provide clarity by understanding the context of art. By using documents and other cultural objects, like books, we can try to determine when this plate was made and what it meant to the people who made it.