The Allen presents changing exhibitions along with engaging guest speakers and public programs.
Learn MoreThe Allen's collection is particularly strong in 17th century Dutch and Flemish painting, Japanese prints, early modern art, African art, and more.
Learn MoreExplore the full range of museum programs through free events, guided and self-guided tours, and resources for professors and PreK-12 teachers.
Learn MoreResources
Find podcasts, activities, and information for all age groups.
Support for the museum continues our tradition of bringing art to the people.
Learn MoreAugust 24, 2023 - January 26, 2025
In East Gallery
August 24, 2023 - January 26, 2025
In East Gallery
Social upheaval in the wake of the Black Death (1346–1352) lent itself to new ways of understanding class and social mobility. By the 1700s, European manners and dining norms had evolved to reflect a class-based system that this installation explores. Despite religious concerns about excess consumption, owning and displaying large quantities of luxury goods was common among the upper classes, especially colonial commodities such as chocolate, tea, and snuff. Those who fashioned themselves as “civilized” maintained their position through their access to expensive and foreign goods that the lower classes only interacted with through servitude.
Organized by Professor Ellen Wurtzel’s class Lords, Peasants, and Pigs on Trial.
Image: Royal Saxon Porcelain Manufactory (Dresden, German), Meissen Soup Tureen with Cover, c. 1761. Glazed and painted porcelain. R. T. Miller Jr. Fund, 1948.70A-B.
Learn more about the key themes explored in this installation in these annotated bibliographies compiled by students:
Visit - Tours
Enjoy the intimacy of one of the nation's best academic art museums. Free admission since 1917.
Newsletter
Sign up for our e-newsletter to get information about our free events and latest exhibitions.
Join & Support
Your support makes a difference. Become a museum member, donor, or volunteer.
