Arbor group 1750 - 1760

This intriguing Arbor group was crafted by an artisan of the Whieldon type, using earthenware with colored glazes. These types of figurines, popular in the 18th century, often depicted pastoral scenes. Looking closely, we see a man and woman situated under an idealized, romanticized bower of trees. These idyllic images mask a more complex reality of the labor and social hierarchies present in the 1700s. We can ask ourselves, whose labor created the wealth that afforded the creation and appreciation of such objects? How does this scene play into the era’s notions of courtship and gender roles? While appearing quaint, pieces like Arbor group present a window into the values and social structures of their time. The seemingly innocent scene speaks volumes about how people saw themselves and the world around them.