Goblet c. 1740

Editor: Here we have a gorgeous Baroque glass goblet, dating back to about 1740, created by Christopher Gottfried Schneider. The craftsmanship is so intricate, the detail of the etched decoration on the glass is striking. How can we approach thinking about this goblet beyond just its beauty? Curator: I see it as a potent emblem of its time. Think about the resources, the specialized labor required to produce such an object. This isn't just a drinking vessel; it's a statement about access, class, and the networks of trade that made such luxury possible. Who do you imagine used this? Editor: Someone wealthy, clearly! Probably at some kind of feast. So, the act of consumption becomes…performance? Curator: Precisely! This goblet’s about conspicuous consumption and how this era embraced extravagance. Notice the process; glass blowing, cutting, etching – each a skilled craft. Are these processes “art” or “labor”? Did the artisans consider themselves artists, or merely workers? What were the power structures between the patron and glass maker? Editor: So it shifts our perspective from admiring beauty to analyzing its place in a bigger economic and social picture. Who made it and how. It is thought-provoking to challenge the usual categories of art. Curator: Exactly! The beauty, in fact, obscures a complex web of production, class, and access. And once we examine how the item was actually made and acquired, our definition of art may expand. Editor: This changed my perspective; I’m considering decorative art, and all art, as so much more than its visual appearance.