Plate Depicting Lady with a Parasol 1734 - 1737

Curator: Cornelis Pronk, active in the early 18th century, created this fascinating plate, "Plate Depicting Lady with a Parasol" between 1734 and 1737. It is a ceramic piece currently held at The Met. Editor: It's so… fragile-looking! Even the colors seem whisper-light. The whole scene makes me think of a haiku, a tiny world captured on porcelain. Curator: Indeed. Let's consider the formal structure. The central image is contained within a circular frame— Editor: A perfect, portable little daydream. A woman with a parasol…is she expecting rain or shielding herself from the sun? Maybe a little of both. Curator: Her presence provides a vertical thrust countered by the horizontal spread of the surrounding ornamentation. Notice how the artist uses repeating motifs in the border. Editor: It's more than decoration though, isn’t it? The intricate border creates a sense of remove, distancing us from the woman like we are observing someone’s inner life. Are those cranes in the foreground? Or perhaps egrets? Curator: Waterbirds, certainly, fitting neatly into an interpretation leaning toward naturalism and an almost botanical precision within the larger design. The limited color palette is key too. Editor: And that hint of blush on the lady's cheek—a pop of warmth! And consider the cultural conversation here—this is a Dutch artist capturing, let's say, an idea of an Asian subject. I feel layers of seeing, of wanting to understand. What does the formalist in you think about cultural exchange within artworks? Curator: It adds yet another layer of complexity, informing the dialogue between East and West. The materials themselves carry historical significance, embodying both artistic intentions and societal values. Editor: Almost like a visual echo through time. Makes you wonder about all the stories this plate could tell, from the artist's hand to our eyes. Curator: An apt thought. It reveals that even what appears to be decorative contains depth worth exploring. Editor: I’ll remember this little world. Such poise—both in the figure and in its crafting. It seems there are inner depths to be plumbed here on every viewing.