Busts of a Man and Woman in Costume - Bow Porcelain Factory

Purchased with funds provided by the Antiquarian Society through Mrs. John Bross, Mrs. Edward Byron Smith, Mrs. William Spencer and the Mrs. Burke Williamson and Eileen B. Campbell funds and purchased with funds provided by the Mrs. Harold T. Martin

European Art Sculpture

"Busts of a Man and Woman in Costume" by Bow Porcelain Factory (1750–54) Soft-paste porcelain.

Commentary

"Busts of a Man and Woman in Costume" by Bow Porcelain Factory (1750–54) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. Because the work is spatial, changes in viewpoint and light can noticeably alter its emo tional impact. Themes to notice include sculpture. This piece is held in the source collection's Applied Arts of Europe collection. Bow Porcelain Factory is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: Bow Porcelain Factory (c. The work is cataloged within a England cultural context. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as sculpture, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Soft-paste porcelain) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (Man: 27 × 12.3 × 8.9 cm (10 5/8 × 4 13/16 × 3 1/2 in.); Woman: 27.4 × 12.9 × 8.8 cm (10 3/4 × 5 1/16 × 3 7/16 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include sculpture. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/102986

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data