Posts Tagged ‘classical pieces’

In the 18th century, as the fashion for porcelain reached its peak, many porcelain factories were established outside Germany and France, the main centres of production. Many new factories were founded by arcanists, modellers, and decorators who exploited their knowledge of porcelain manufacture, moving from factory to factory throughout Europe. Unsurprisingly, most of the smaller European operations imitated the styles of Meissen and Sevres, although their wares sometimes display an interesting mixture of influences.
THE LOW COUNTRIES
In 1750 Francois-Joseph Peterinck (1719-99) established a factory in Tournai and, with the help of the arcanist Robert Dubois, produced soft-paste porcelain. The influence of Meissen in the tablewares can be seen in the moulded basket-weave borders and the spiral patterns around the rims of plates, while the decoration is more English-inspired. The specialities of Tournai were exotic birds and scenes taken from Aesop’s fables in underglaze blue, both of which were used at Chelsea and Worcester. Typical of Tournai, too, are landscape vignettes in puce or purple monochrome, surrounded by small sprays of flowers. The factory also made a limited range of galanterie – small decorative objects such as snuff-boxes.
Tournai produced a large range of figures and groups following contemporary French taste in their subject-matter, in particular pastoral scenes of shepherds and children by artists who had worked at Mennecy. The thickly glazed groups are painted in a pale palette or left in the white, but lack crisp modelling. Also typical of Tournai are figures and groups in biscuit porcelain, especially those on high rockwork bases around a central tree; groups like these were made at Derby.
Peterinck retired in 1796, and ownership of Tournai passed to his daughter Amelie de Bettignics (1757–after 1805). The factory continued making simple household wares, but no more figures, until the mid-19th century. Many 18th-century wares were sold undecorated, and were later painted at a porcelain factory in The Hague set up in 1776 by a German porcelain dealer, Anton Lyncker (1718-81). The Hague factory also made its own hard-paste porcelain wares, decorated in a manner similar to Tournai’s. Confusingly, both The Hague factory’s own products and the Tournai pieces that it decorated have the same mark; any soft-paste ware bearing an overglaze mark of a stork is likely to be (but by no means definitely is) of Tournai origin.
The first successful Dutch porcelain factor was established in Weesp, near Amsterdam, in 1757 by the Irish arcanist D. MacCarthy, who had been involved in attempts to manufacture porcelain in Copenhagen. This factory has a complex history of ownership. In 1771 it changed hands and moved to Oude Loosdrecht, and in 1782 moved to Amstel, near Amsterdam, where it remained until its closure in 1820. All the Dutch factories used a good-quality white hard paste with a clear glaze. Some small figures of putti holding salts were made at Weesp. At Oude Loosdrecht and Amstel, production was focused entirely on wares – mainly tea, coffee and dinner services. In both form and decoration
the wares are similar to Meissen and
other German porcelain.
SWITZERLAND
Most porcelain factories in Europe were established by aristocratic patrons who could afford luxury products; in Switzerland, where there was no monarchy, a group of prominent citizens established the first porcelain factory in Zurich in 1763. The factory initially made a soft-paste porcelain but switched to the production of hard paste c.1765.
Reflecting the demands of Switzerland’s dominant middle-class market, the bulk of Zurich
production was tea, coffee and dinner services. These generally followed German Rococo and Neo-classical styles, but the complex scrolled handles on coffee- and teapots were unique to Zurich. In terms of ecoration, the Zurich factory is associated with small pastoral landscapes in a palette dominated by blues and greens. Sortie exquisitely painted landscapes in warmer colours arc by Salomon Gessner (1739-79), 1739-79), one of the founders; unfortunately the enamels arc often flaky because the paint was applied too thickly. The colourful, naturalistic sprays of flowers familiar on 18th-century Meissen also featured at Zurich, although the flower sprays tend to be looser. Other kinds of decoration included a version of the Oriental banded hedge pattern, Usually in purple, and vignettes of birds on branches.
Almost 400 different types of figure igure and group were made, mostly in the late Rococo style. The famous Meissen series of the street vendors of London and Paris may have inspired the set of 42 street-
sellers called the “Cries of Zurich”. The finest figures were probably modelled by Valentin Sonnenschein (1749-1828), from Ludwigsburg, and, perhaps because of his influence, many Zurich figures resemble those made there. The factory closed in 1791, owing
to financial problems caused by competition from other factories and imports of inexpensive creamware from England.
SCANDINAVIA
In the 1730s several French
and German arcanists, including Christoph Conrad Hunger of Meissen
and Vienna, produced soft-paste porcelain
on a limited scale in Copenhagen. In 1774 the first hard-paste porcelain factory was founded there. Queen Caroline Matilda was the main shareholder of this factory; after her exile it was bought in 1779 by King Christian VII and styled the Royal Danish Porcelain Factory. A fine, white hard paste with a clear glaze was used to make wares mainly in a severe Neo-classical style, much influenced by Berlin, Vienna, and Sevres.
Cylindrical teapots and coffee-cups with angular handles, and trays with angled sides, are typically embellished with oval and cylindrical medallions enclosing landscapes, topographical views, or portraits in sepia, puce, or pink monochrome, surrounded with swags and coloured borders heightened with gilding. Botanical subjects were also popular, the most famous
example being the 1,800-piece “Flora Danica” service ( 1789-1802) that was probably made for Catherine the Great of Russia.
The factory declined in the early 19th century, but under the direction (1828-57) of Gustav Friedrich Hetsch it produced biscuit figures, notably those based on the work of the Neoclassical sculptor Berthel Thorvaldsen. The factory enjoyed a renaissance when in 1885 the architect and painter Arnold Krug (1856-1931) was appointed artistic director. With new glaze technology, he introduced a revolutionary form of underglaze painting, using simple washes of blues and greys to produce an effect very similar to Japanese pottery. Johann Ludwig Eberhard Ehrenreich (1722-1803)
produced porcelain between 1766 and 178 at Marieberg, near Stockholm.
It initially used a soft paste for Rococo wares, especially spiral-fluted custard cups similar
to those made at Mennecy.
A hard-paste porcelain was
introduced from 1777.

Berlin
The Royal Porcelain Factory in Berlin (est. 1752) is best known for its superb porcelain made during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, when Neo-classicism was at its height. At this time Prussia was one of the most powerful states in Europe, and it became even stronger after the defeat of Napoleon in 1815. Its prosperity -was reflected in the great building schemes undertaken in Berlin and Potsdam, and some of the finest Neo-classical architecture of the age was designed by German architects such as Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1781-1841). Schinkel and the leading sculptor Johann Gottfried Schadow ( 1764-18-50) were among prominent Contemporary artists commissioned to design porcelain in the rich Empire style associated with Napoleon, and in the Biedermeier style, a simpler, heavier, Classical sty le popular with the German middle classes. In contrast to many other European factories, which concentrated on reviving 18th-century styles, the Berlin factory continued to manufacture innovative and stylish wares and figures throughout the century.
BEFORE 1840
In the early 19th century Berlin’s particular speciality was wares with finely tooled gilt borders and gilt-ground sections framing sumptuous paintings, creating an opulent effect. In contrast to the vignettes popular in the 18th century, these paintings were highly finished so as to imitate works in oil, and none of the white porcelain was left showing. The most popular painted subjects included profile portraits (sometimes silhouettes) within oval medallions, and Classical themes, but the factory is most renowned for its fine topographical views depicting such celebrated buildings in Berlin as the Royal Palace and the Opera, or the scenery around Potsdam. Topographical views generally feature on cups and saucers, plates, and vases (where they are sometimes titled) intended for display.
Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, was an enthusiastic patron of the factory, commissioning and even designing table services for his palaces in Berlin and Potsdam. This tradition continued under Frederick William III; after the defeat of Napoleon, the King ordered elaborate Neo-classical services for both Prussian and foreign generals in celebration of their victory. The most famous of these is the “Prussian” service made between 1817 and 1819 for the Duke of Wellington, which is now displayed at Apsley House in London, his former residence.
One of the most significant developments in Europe during the first half of the 19th century was the increasing power and patronage of the middle classes,
a result of the economic boom brought by the Industrial Revolution. Instead of the elaborate table services made for royalty and aristocracy, there was much greater demand for single decorative pieces or small services. The factory adapted to the new market by producing large numbers of “cabinet” cups for display, generally cylindrical and often with covers, and similar to those made in Vienna. From c.1815 an elongated, slightly flared version, painted with portrait panels or Classical motifs, was introduced. Also typical of Berlin were octagonal tea services with fine paintings of ancient ruins, birds, or butterflies, surrounded with gilding and elaborate enamels imitating Roman mosaics and pietre dare (hardstone) panels.
Vases in a variety of sizes were popular for display and were a major part of the output of Berlin from c.1830. Based on antique forms such as urns and kraters, they were usually embellished with topographical paintings or elaborate Classical motifs in panels, surrounded by tooled gilt borders with Neo-classical motifs. The supreme technical and artistic quality of these vases was unmatched.
Like tablewares, figures were inspired by Classical models; they were usually left unpainted or unglazed, in imitation of antique statues, and set on simple cylindrical pedestals moulded with regular geometric borders. Although most of the subjects were allegorical or taken from Classical antiquity, the factory also made portraits of the Prussian royal family, and of Prussian generals who had defeated Napoleon. From the 1830s a figure of
the Princesses Louise and Frederike was mass-produced with a stepped base or plinth rather than a simple slab.
Portrait medallions in biscuit porcelain, mostly depicting the royal family, were also made on a large scale.
Porcelain Easter eggs were a distinctive product of the
Berlin factory from c.1820 to the end of the century. They were decorated all over with paintings reserved on coloured grounds.
LATER CLASSICAL AND OTHER STYLES
The Berlin factor y continued to make high-quality decorated porcelain until the end of the 19th century, even though there was a general decline in European porcelain manufacture because of competition from mass-produced goods. Most mid- and late 19th-century Berlin porcelain displays mainly Classical influences, while other factories such as Meissen concentrated on the revival of 18th-century Rococo models. However, such forms as vases became larger and heavier, and decoration often more ornate: the simple, angular shape for handles, for example, was replaced by animal heads.
Berlin’s tradition of treating porcelain primarily as a medium for painting reached its apogee c.1840 with the development of porcelain plaques. Like paintings, these were usually rectangular and enclosed in richly modelled gilt frames. They were sold as blanks to outside workshops and painted by independent decorators (Hausmaler). The very finely executed subjects were initially copies or details of Old Master works; however, during the last third of the 19th century the themes were less profound: exotic maidens in traditional costume, scantily clad nymphs among flowers, or rather sentimental religious subjects.
From c.18,50 Rococo Revival elements, such as curling scrollwork, flowers, and shells, appeared in the decoration of tablewares and vases. This decoration, combined with the gilded and coloured grounds and topographical views, resulted in an overdecorated effect. This would never have occurred in the 18th century, when restrained decoration was used to create balance. The factory also experimented in mid-century with the Renaissance Revival style by manufacturing copies of Italian Renaissance maiolica and 17th-century German stoneware. These pieces have much heavier forms than the originals. The production of figures at this time was confined mainly to busts and figures of the royal family, ladies in contemporary dress on pedestals, and a limited revival of 18th-century models of such subjects as pastoral figures and tradesmen.
During the 1870s the factory suffered severe financial setbacks, but Hermann Seger, appointed technical director in 18787
, revived its fortunes and ensured its future by developing a series of new glazes. The subtle glaze effects on Oriental porcelain were particularly fashionable in the late 19th century, especially after Japanese and Chinese ceramics were displayed at the numerous European international exhibitions. Seger was the first manufacturer in Europe to reproduce rich flambe and sang-de-boeuf glazes by developing the “Seger cones”, which allowed accurate control of firing temperatures. This type of Oriental-inspired porcelain was known as “Seger-Porzellan”, and the new technology was taken up in porcelain factories throughout Europe. The Berlin factory continues to produce fine porcelain today.
• BODY high-quality, white, hard-paste porcelain with a glassy glaze and a slightly cold, bluish tinge
Before c.1840
• STYLE restrained Neo-classical
• FORMS cabinet cups and saucers; Easter eggs
• DECORATION gilt borders finely tooled with Classical motifs; highly finished topographical paintings imitating oils; coloured and gilt grounds
After c.1840
• STYLE eclectic, combining both Rococo and Classical elements
• FORMS painted plaques with elaborate gilt frames
• DECORATION very ornate, with applied gilt motifs such as shells and curling scrollwork combined with coloured grounds and paintings; paintings of sentimental religious subjects or exotic maidens on plaques
Marks

Meissen
The attempts by Count Marcolini, director of Meissen from 1774, to improve the quality of Meissen porcelain were not entirely successful, and at the beginning of the 19th century the factory was still in decline. There were several reasons for this: competition from other porcelain factories in Europe, mass production, and the effects of the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815). When Marcolini retired in 18 14, production was at a level j t high enough to keep the factory open.
Until the mid-19th century mass production grew steadily, thus reducing costs and meeting demand. From the 1820s the factory kept pace with new developments by using “round” kilns that led to a fourfold increase in production, and introducing new techniques and products. In the late 1820s gloss-gilding was introduced; this inexpensive method of decoration used gold mixed in a solution, which was applied to the porcelain. The time-consuming method of hand-pressing clay into moulds to produce plates with moulded decoration was replaced by pouring slip into glass moulds. One of the new mass-produced items was the lithophane (a thin, translucent plaque with moulded decoration that can be viewed by transmitted light), made from 1829, featuring religious or sentimental subjects.
The 19th-century international exhibitions popularized both new and historical styles by displaying artifacts from different cultures and civilizations, and manufacturers copied these objects using new techniques. Taste was now led by the bourgeoisie, and manufacturers’ output became more diverse to meet demand. More than one fashion was often popular at any one time, so 19th-century objects often display a bizarre combination of styles. The Biedermeier style was introduced c.1830; wares are similar in form to earlier Neo-classical pieces but are heavier, and have less elaborate decoration, often being painted with topographical views.
From the early 1830s the Rococo style was revived, and Meissen enjoyed a renaissance owing to its re-use from the late 1840s of 18th-century figure moulds. Rococo Revival figures and wares were greatly
in demand and formed the bulk of the factory’s production during the second half of the 19th century. Produced under the supervision of the chief modeller, Ernst August Leuteritz (1818-93), these figures are of Such typical 18th-century subjects as shepherds and shepherdesses, the aristocracy, and allegorical figures of the Seasons and the Four Continents. They can be distinguished from the originals by their hard, shiny gilding, harsh colours, and overelaborate decoration, such as intricate lacework, made by dipping real lace into the paste. The most notable Meissen products in other revival styles made during the second half of the 19th century include plates and cups and saucers of the 1840s, moulded or painted with Gothic arches and tracery patterns, and blue-ground krater vases painted with Classical scenes imitating medieval and Renaissance enamels. From the 1860s large-scale Renaissance Revival vases, often painted with flowers and blue-ground sections and with curling snake handles, became increasingly popular. From the 1870s the factory produced figures in contemporary costume, although these were outweighed by the number of Rococo and Neo-classical reproductions.
KEY FACTS
• BODY pure white hard-paste porcelain with a distinctive hard, glassy glaze
• STYLES Empire, Biedermeier, Rococo Revival, Neo-classical, Renaissance and Gothic Revivals
• PALETTE harsh versions of 18th-century colours, such as a strong pink and a yellowish green; figures covered completely with paint; hard, shiny gloss-gilding
• DECORATION encrusted flowers; topographical views on Biedermeier wares
Example
mythological figure group of a maiden sitting on a Neoclassical stool, binding Cupid’s wings with a ribbon, was
produced using a model that had originally been made by Christian Gottlieb Juchtzer, one of the modellers working at Meissen in the Neo-
classical style during the late 18th century The rather harsh palette, so typical of 19th-century Meissen figures and wares,
is especially
evident in the
red drapery over
the attendant’s
shoulder, which would never have been used on an 18th-century figure.