Wineglass 1780 - 1785

Curator: Oh, how whimsical. At first glance, this wine glass feels incredibly fragile, almost too delicate to touch. Editor: Indeed. This Rococo-style glass sculpture, aptly named "Wineglass," was crafted between 1780 and 1785. The artist is David Wolff. And yes, its creation using glass medium certainly lends it an air of sophistication. The Metropolitan Museum of Art currently holds it. Curator: Rococo sophistication, indeed! It practically whispers of courtly love and secret rendezvous. I adore the etching, it looks as if putti are having a feast, under the banner saying "Friendship" in German "Freundschaft". Editor: The symbolism here, especially with the putti celebrating friendship, really underscores the sociability that fueled Rococo artistic production. These pieces weren't just pretty objects; they were active participants in social rituals and expressions of cultural values. Who do you imagine once held this glass? Curator: Perhaps some bewigged dandy toasting his latest conquest? Or maybe it belonged to a secret society, the Brotherhood of the Bubbly Beverage? You know, something equally ridiculous and wonderful. How would you assess its artistic impact, within, say, social gatherings? Editor: These glasses likely held real power. Consider the control that powerful figures wielded over access to beautiful objects; sharing a drink from this particular glass could function as an inclusion to the circles of influence and good taste. Who drinks from which glass at which table. These objects become essential parts of political economies of social favor. Curator: Ah, politics even infiltrates the clinking of glasses! That's unexpectedly depressing, though quite logical, if I may say. Here I was, imagining a whimsical moment between close conspirators… Well, reality is often less fantastical than we imagine, right? Editor: Perhaps, but it enriches how we see, and why the visionaries created this artifact with their artistic voice, despite, or due to, their circumstances. So next time we see a piece such as this one, we would also remind our public how power intersects creativity. Curator: Beautifully stated. Cheers to that.