Summer (part of a set of four) 1775 - 1785

This porcelain figure, called ‘Summer’, was made by Neale & Co., a Staffordshire pottery firm who were active in the late 18th century. During this time, the rise of industrial production led to porcelain becoming more accessible to a wider range of society. This figure, part of a set of four representing the seasons, depicts a young man holding a bundle of wheat. Images of rural life and the seasons were popular amongst the upper and emerging middle classes, who sought to project an image of pastoral harmony and abundance. The figure’s clothing, though fanciful, hints at class distinctions, with his breeches and jacket suggesting a kind of idealized working-class identity, one carefully shaped for bourgeois consumption. Consider how this figure, in its delicate porcelain form, both embodies and obscures the realities of labor and social inequality prevalent in 18th-century England. The figure serves as a reminder of how images can be carefully crafted to reinforce particular social and economic narratives, often at the expense of lived experiences.