Terrine met ramskoppen en adelaar 1759 - 1800

This is a drawing by Claude Dominique Vinsac, made in Paris, which shows a covered terrine and its platter. Note how the design is conceived: not as a unique sculptural object, but as a reproducible model. The artist was producing what we would now call design prototypes. They were intended to be translated into ceramic or metal by skilled makers. Consider all the labor, and artistic traditions, involved in the production of such an object. The drawing renders the complex form as something easily manufacturable. This design democratisation enabled efficient production, and consumption. The emphasis is not on a single artist's hand, but on the smooth operation of a highly skilled and capitalized workshop. It is this system that Vinsac was really designing. So when you look at this drawing, consider all the possible objects and contexts that it might generate. By appreciating the interplay between design, craft, and industry, we get closer to understanding its cultural value.