Plate 1731 - 1763

Editor: So, this plate dates from 1731 to 1763, crafted by Robert Bonynge. It’s currently held at the Met. I am immediately drawn to its stark simplicity and the muted sheen of the metal. How can something so utilitarian also feel so...contemplative? What do you see in this piece, looking at it through the lens of art history? Curator: Well, precisely because it IS utilitarian! Consider the societal context in which it was created. Objects like this plate speak to the rise of the bourgeoisie and their aspiration to mimic aristocratic lifestyles. Do you think that owning such a relatively simple, yet functional piece served any purpose beyond just eating? Editor: I guess so. It projects a sense of domestic stability and quiet affluence perhaps? An imitation of sophistication? Curator: Exactly! Now think about the colonial system at play in the 18th century. Metalwork like this often depended on resources extracted from colonized lands. Is it merely a plate, or also a quiet testament to a complex, often brutal, economic and social system? Does the unassuming nature of the plate, almost hiding in plain sight, belie its involvement in a far more complicated web of historical narratives? Editor: It’s a little unsettling to consider its potentially dark history when its surface appears so untouched by time. Curator: Precisely. And that’s why engaging with art history through contemporary critical theory can be so powerful. It forces us to look beyond the aesthetic and question the inherent politics and power structures. Editor: I never would have thought to connect a plate to colonialism. Curator: It's about expanding our perspectives and recognising that objects, even everyday ones, can hold complex and challenging histories. It's a new way to interpret, beyond face value. Editor: This has given me so much to think about – thank you for enriching my understanding. Curator: The pleasure was mine! Now you are ready to deconstruct even the most humble-seeming objects.