Covered Goblet with Silhouette Bust of King Frederich the Great c. 1795

This covered goblet with a silhouette of King Frederick the Great was crafted by Johann Sigismund Menzel. The eye is immediately drawn to the interplay between transparency and opacity, a dialogue established through the goblet's clear glass against the solid black silhouette. The goblet's form, with its geometric base and ornate, rounded body, presents a study in contrasts. The silhouette, positioned centrally, disrupts the otherwise symmetrical and decorative pattern around the vase. Encased in gold, the king’s profile becomes a sign, perhaps referencing power, intellect, or the complex relationship between the monarchy and its subjects. The use of a silhouette flattens the image, removing depth and emphasizing outline, which serves to reduce a powerful figure to an easily reproducible and widely recognizable symbol. Consider how Menzel uses the interplay of light and shadow, clarity and obstruction, to ask deeper questions about the nature of representation and the structures of authority.