Butter Dish c. 1936

Janet Riza rendered this butter dish design, of unknown date, with pencil and watercolor. As an object, the butter dish encapsulates a sense of domestic order. It speaks to a time when such household objects held a place of pride, reflecting social status. Consider the social conditions of its making. In the late 19th and early to mid-20th century, women like Riza often found avenues for artistic expression in areas deemed 'domestic' or 'decorative'. Museums and art schools of the time were often segregated by gender, and so women were encouraged to work in arts such as textiles, ceramics, and glass. Looking at this butter dish, one might ask: does the artist subvert or embrace these social expectations? Is this design a simple reflection of domesticity, or a subtle critique of the artistic institutions of her time? To understand better, one could look into the exhibition histories of the period, or even delve into records of art school curricula. After all, art never exists in a vacuum.