Eloquence (also known as St. Paul Preaching at Athens)
ca. 1787
Medium
Lead-glazed earthenware
Dimensions
18 1/2 × 10 1/2 in. (47 × 26.7 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Pottery
Culture
British, Burslem, Staffordshire
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of R. Thornton Wilson, 1937
Accession Number
37.88.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
Eloquence, also known asSt. Paul Preaching Athens*, is a charming lead-glazed earthenware figure around 1787 by Enoch Wood a master potter from Burslem in Staffordshire, England. Standing at 18½ × 10½ inches, this vividly colored ceramic sculpture captures the biblical moment from Acts 17, where the Apostle Paul addresses a crowd of philosophers on the Areopagus in ancient Athens. Wood's work exemplifies the vibrant Staffordshire pottery tradition, where molded earthenware figures like this one were mass-produced yet hand-painted, making religious and historical scenes accessible to middle-cla...