Recumbent lion c. 1764

Editor: This is the "Recumbent Lion", a porcelain sculpture made around 1764 by the Weesper Porcelain Factory. It’s quite striking in its simplicity, this pristine white earthenware. I’m curious—what's your interpretation? Curator: It’s more than just a lion, isn’t it? He looks rather proud, though perhaps also slightly anxious—check out the eyes, the slightly open mouth. I can see him watching over some important gate. Did you notice the tiny figurine clinging to his back? Editor: No, I missed that! What do you think it signifies? Curator: Perhaps innocence riding on power? Or, thinking more widely, you get these decorative Baroque porcelains just as folks are philosophising in coffee houses across Europe, questioning power structures! Is the lion truly as mighty as he appears or is his power simply ceramic - fragile, even? I wonder what would have looked like in full color. Editor: That makes you wonder what other layers of meaning might be hidden beneath the surface. Now that you point it out it all makes much more sense! Curator: Precisely. It's a looking glass, reflecting the times and asking a sly question or two while it's at it. Makes me question my own position even. Art history never fails! Editor: I never would've gotten that myself. Thanks, that gave me something to think about.