Lucinda 1755 - 1765

This delicate porcelain sculpture, titled Lucinda, was created by the Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory. Note the figure's poised contrapposto stance, which gives life and movement to the static material, and is enhanced by her slightly tilted head. The composition and shape of her clothing are striking; consider how the floral patterns of her open robe contrast with the linear geometry of her skirt. This juxtaposition of organic and geometric forms destabilizes conventional ideas of representation. The polychromatic glazing, with its strategic use of gold accents, invites a semiotic reading. What do the gold accents signify? Perhaps luxury, divinity or transcendence. The artist uses material to negotiate the complex interplay between the real and the ideal. The sculpture challenges fixed meanings and instead embraces new ways of thinking about perception and representation.