Serving Dish from a Royal Berlin China Service c. 20th century

This Royal Berlin China service dish is one of many, made by an anonymous artist for a royal family. Just imagine the artist, working in an unknown studio, hand-painting this scene in terracotta red and black, trying to get it just right. I wonder what the artist was thinking as they painted. How do you make something look ancient, grand, and new all at the same time? Was it a struggle to keep the lines smooth? Did they have to start over sometimes? I notice how each figure seems caught between flat silhouette and suggested depth. That must have been tricky to achieve! There’s an interesting tension between the clean outlines and the subtle modeling, that gives a sense of volume without sacrificing the overall flatness of the design. It’s kind of a beautiful puzzle, like all paintings are. Thinking about artists making work over centuries, inspiring each other, riffing off what came before – it’s just so cool. Each piece, like this serving dish, opens a new conversation.