Figure of Red Riding Hood with Basket 1852 - 1858

Editor: Here we have "Figure of Red Riding Hood with Basket," made sometime between 1852 and 1858 by the United States Pottery Company. It’s ceramic and so delicately crafted. The overall effect, to me, is one of vulnerability. What strikes you about the visual presentation of this sculpture? Curator: Note how the artist’s employment of pure white heightens the figure’s apparent innocence. Consider the composition; the soft draping of the cloak, and the subtle asymmetry of the basket, placed to the side to maintain the line of sight with the figure. These visual decisions create a quiet drama. Do you perceive a visual contrast between the texture of the basket and that of the cloak? Editor: Yes, the basket’s texture appears coarser, more rigid, while the cloak is smoother. Is that contrast intended to emphasize… something? Curator: The contrast, one might argue, directs the eye to these two vital semiotic components –the functional and narrative. How the solidity of the container speaks to pragmatism within a world of fairy tale. Do you see how the artist creates the rhythm and volume within limited variation, mostly through the subtle play of light across the glazed ceramic surface? Editor: I see now, the lines and shadows define the figure, even though it's all one color. That's clever. Curator: Precisely. And it prompts us to consider the work, not as mere representation, but as a thoughtful construction of form and light. Editor: I hadn’t thought about it that way, focusing more on the story. But seeing the interplay of light and texture adds another dimension to my understanding. Curator: Indeed, shifting our gaze reveals unexpected depths in this seemingly simple sculptural form.