Design for a Porcelain Platter 1777

This is Leroux’s Design for a Porcelain Platter, made sometime in the 18th century. In this period, porcelain was not merely functional; it was a canvas for expressing social ideals and aesthetic tastes. Here, we see two women, draped in classical-style robes, assisting a toddler with his first steps. This intimate scene seems to underscore the importance of family and the role of women as nurturers, in a society where domesticity was increasingly valued. But let's consider the context: who was served on such a platter? Likely, it was the privileged elite, enjoying the fruits of a system that thrived on inequality. The design, with its air of innocence, glosses over the complexities of a society marked by stark divisions of class. So, while this platter design speaks of care and familial bonds, it also subtly reflects the selective gaze of its time, choosing to highlight certain virtues while obscuring others. It prompts us to consider what stories objects tell, and whose stories they leave out.