The Factory of Extravagance. Meissen and Chantilly Porcelain.
Monelle Hayot| N° d'inventaire | 23119 |
| Format | 21 x 28 |
| Détails | 264 p., publisher's hardcover. |
| Publication | Saint-Rémy-en-l'Eau, 2020 |
| Etat | Nine |
| ISBN | 9791096561254 |
Porcelain was the white gold of the 18th century, eagerly sought after by enlightened princes. Two of them, Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, and Louis-Henri de Bourbon, Prince of Condé, Prime Minister to King Louis XV, put their fortunes to work in pursuit of their passion and founded two prestigious manufactories in Meissen and Chantilly. For the first time, a major exhibition and its accompanying catalogue aim to shed light on the dialogue between these productions, which marked the decorative arts of the Age of Enlightenment. The foundations of the Meissen and Chantilly porcelain manufactories rest on the princely collections from which they were regularly able to draw models. Augustus the Strong and Louis-Henri de Bourbon-Condé shared an enthusiasm for Asian porcelain. The manufactories they founded imitated Japanese kakiemon-style production with great precision, while often adapting to Western forms and uses. The 18th century was in fact one of the allure of the exotic. The statuary, both in Chantilly and Meissen, bears witness to this: the amusing Chinese magots respond to the small animal statues of Chantilly where the monkey is king, echoing the painted decorations of the "monkey shows" of the Château de Chantilly. In Dresden, Augustus the Strong dreamed of pushing the technical limits of porcelain to the limit by creating a fragile menagerie, impressive in its dimensions and technique. This story is also one of rivalries and commercial exchanges, just like that of taste. The central role of Parisian merchants, importing pieces from Saxony, equipping them with gold-plated mounts and mixing them with French porcelain, will be extensively studied. This catalog, bringing together French and German specialists, will provide an overview of the latest research on often extravagant masterpieces, witnesses of remarkable know-how, preserved in public and private hands.
Porcelain was the white gold of the 18th century, eagerly sought after by enlightened princes. Two of them, Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, and Louis-Henri de Bourbon, Prince of Condé, Prime Minister to King Louis XV, put their fortunes to work in pursuit of their passion and founded two prestigious manufactories in Meissen and Chantilly. For the first time, a major exhibition and its accompanying catalogue aim to shed light on the dialogue between these productions, which marked the decorative arts of the Age of Enlightenment. The foundations of the Meissen and Chantilly porcelain manufactories rest on the princely collections from which they were regularly able to draw models. Augustus the Strong and Louis-Henri de Bourbon-Condé shared an enthusiasm for Asian porcelain. The manufactories they founded imitated Japanese kakiemon-style production with great precision, while often adapting to Western forms and uses. The 18th century was in fact one of the allure of the exotic. The statuary, both in Chantilly and Meissen, bears witness to this: the amusing Chinese magots respond to the small animal statues of Chantilly where the monkey is king, echoing the painted decorations of the "monkey shows" of the Château de Chantilly. In Dresden, Augustus the Strong dreamed of pushing the technical limits of porcelain to the limit by creating a fragile menagerie, impressive in its dimensions and technique. This story is also one of rivalries and commercial exchanges, just like that of taste. The central role of Parisian merchants, importing pieces from Saxony, equipping them with gold-plated mounts and mixing them with French porcelain, will be extensively studied. This catalog, bringing together French and German specialists, will provide an overview of the latest research on often extravagant masterpieces, witnesses of remarkable know-how, preserved in public and private hands.