Model of a Lifeboat c. 1789s - 1799s

Editor: This is a "Model of a Lifeboat," made of wood, dating roughly from the 1780s or 90s. I’m struck by the detail, and also its somewhat skeletal quality – it looks incomplete somehow. What do you see when you look at it? Curator: Well, immediately I’m drawn to the materials. This isn't just a representation; it's a constructed object, likely built by someone with direct knowledge of boat building or perhaps for a patron very interested in naval construction and ship design. How do you imagine this object being made? Editor: I imagine painstaking work, shaping the wood, and assembling the pieces. Was this kind of model-making a common practice at the time? Was it a hobby, a job, or something else? Curator: It blurs the lines, doesn't it? The production of such a model might have been commissioned or even homemade and is interesting, it challenges the strict boundaries between craftsmanship and something considered 'art'. The labour involved suggests both technical skill and possibly some decorative aspirations given that this also engages history painting as a cultural trend at the time. The rows and symmetry point towards neoclassical precision as an organizing structure in terms of materials. What statement might the commissioner have wanted to project with this model of practical rescue? Editor: That's a fascinating thought. I hadn’t considered the performative or cultural implications within craftsmanship. It really gets you thinking about labor and its context. Thanks. Curator: Exactly. The model shows that value isn’t necessarily intrinsic. How society values specific kinds of craft or skilled labor shifts with cultural needs and aesthetic priorities.