Plate 18th century

Editor: Here we have an 18th-century porcelain plate, currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, made by the Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory. It strikes me as such a delicate object, and the floral decorations look quite intricate. What’s your read on this piece? Curator: This piece provides a lens through which we can view the complexities of labor and materiality in 18th-century decorative arts. It's porcelain, which was a highly sought-after material, essentially a luxury good in Europe at this time, derived from specific clays and firing processes that often involved specialized labor. Think about the mining, processing, and then the highly skilled artisanal work to mold, paint, and fire the piece. Does the imagery—these carefully painted floral designs—give you any pause, regarding the division of labor, perhaps? Editor: Well, now that you mention it, the floral designs do seem quite meticulous, suggesting a specialized painter, possibly working under specific instructions, like a kind of assembly line for luxury goods. Is that what you mean? Curator: Exactly! This reflects a specific mode of production – a factory essentially. Luxury production still necessitates specific forms of exploitation. Moreover, think about what it means to elevate functional items like plates into decorative 'art'. Is it about aesthetics or signalling wealth and social standing? Editor: That’s fascinating. I hadn't considered the plate as evidence of specific social practices of production and consumption, the labor behind luxury. Thank you! Curator: And thank you! Thinking about the plate in this way helps challenge our understanding of art by encouraging dialogue that moves away from individualistic notions and elevates discussion of the collective dynamics of cultural economies.