Tray or Platter with Two Alternate Designs 1800 - 1900

Editor: Here we have "Tray or Platter with Two Alternate Designs," an anonymous drawing from somewhere in the 1800s. The stark pencil drawing gives it a surprisingly modern feel. It's almost architectural. What catches your eye when you look at it? Curator: Well, you're right about that modern feel, but it also makes me think of old Roman villas, you know? Those elaborate ceilings…I'm immediately drawn to the symmetry, but then I see these two distinctly different decorative patterns battling for supremacy! It’s a visual tug-of-war. Almost like two decorators couldn’t agree. Do you get that sense of playful tension? Editor: I do. The floral versus the swag design gives the platter a quirky imbalance, despite the radial symmetry of the overall piece. Is that common in decorative art from this time? Curator: Common? Maybe not common as rain, but the late 18th and 19th centuries were obsessed with Neoclassical motifs, yet craftspeople also yearned for creative wiggle room. Imagine being stuck reproducing the same garland motif a hundred times. So you sneak in a little rebellion. A tiny act of artistic defiance! It adds personality, don’t you think? Almost a signature. Editor: Definitely! It gives it character. I'd love to serve olives on the floral side and, maybe, some cheeses on the swag side. Curator: There you go, seeing it in a modern way. Now that’s using your imagination! I might prefer something more… decadent than cheese though, on a tray with a design like this. Editor: Exactly. Seeing this piece helped me understand how tradition and invention can coexist in one artwork. It is not an either/or. Thanks! Curator: And I rediscovered the quiet rebellion often hidden within seemingly conventional art. I just love that idea.