Young couple 1745 - 1750

This porcelain sculpture of a young couple was created by the Capodimonte Porcelain Manufactory in the mid-18th century. The figures, rendered in soft, muted colors, present a tableau of courtship and exchange. Notice how the composition invites the eye to circle around the figures, focusing on the gestures between them. The male figure leans in, his body creating a diagonal line of tension towards the seated female. Her averted gaze and the subtle barrier of the object she holds—a pink and gold drum—suggest a complex interplay of desire and resistance. The pedestal functions as more than a prop; it is a structural element that underscores the performative aspects of social interaction. In its formal arrangement, the sculpture reveals the codes of social engagement prevalent in the era of its making, inviting us to consider how such codes shaped personal relations and artistic representation.