Schotel, op het plat een zeilend schip binnen een Louis XV rand

About this artwork

diameter 34.9 cm x height 4.5 cm

Art Historical Context

This elegant 18th-century platter, titled *Schotel, op het plat een zeilend schip binnen een Louis XV rand*, showcases a finely painted sailing ship at its center, elegantly framed by an ornate Louis XV border. Measuring 34.9 cm in diameter and 4.5 cm in height, this anonymous work exemplifies the delicate ceramics produced in Europe during the mid-to-late 1700s, likely tin-glazed earthenware from a Dutch workshop, given the title's language. The Rococo Louis XV border—characterized by its scrolling, asymmetrical motifs of shells, foliage, and flourishes—reflects the opulent French taste that swept across Europe around 1750–1780. Hand-painted with cobalt blue underglaze, a common technique for durability and vibrancy, the central ship evokes the era's maritime golden age. Dutch artisans often celebrated seafaring vessels, symbols of trade, exploration, and naval might during a time when global commerce flourished. As a functional yet decorative piece, this platter highlights the fusion of everyday utility with artistic flair, bridging courtly luxury and bourgeois home life. Its survival offers a glimpse into 18th-century tastes, where naval imagery met lavish ornamentation, delighting collectors today with its timeless nautical charm.

About the Artist

anonymous

In the vast tapestry of art history, "Anonymous" stands not as a singular individual but as a collective designation for countless unidentified creators whose works have endured across millennia. These artists, spanning prehistoric cave painters to medieval illuminators and folk craftsmen, produced the foundational layers of human visual culture. Prior to the Renaissance, when individual fame emer...