Page 18 - A Time and A Place Catalogue, Jorge Welsh
P. 18
Views and In Europe, in the early 18th century, a new type deriving his patterns from the engravings
Perspectives of view evolved as a response to the more decorative collected from as early as 1720.17 Frequently,
as Decoration styles then in fashion, first in the Saxon royal factory he simply extracted individual elements, and
in Meissen, and later in the factories and independ placed them in a new context in accordance with
Fig. 6 ent enamelling studios active in cities, such as the whole compositional scheme. By 1730 his studio
Teabowl and Saucer Amsterdam and London. This decoration produced had forty-six painters who worked within a strict
Porcelain decorated in China from the 1730s onwards, is characterised division of labour.18 The prominence of painted
in overglaze enamels, by representations where the need for the place landscapes on porcelain was so great that in the
Böttger lustre and gold or scene to be accurate was secondary to the 1731 craftsmen rolls are listed painters ‘of fine
Meissen — ca. 1724 decorative intention. figures and landscapes’ such as Johann Gregorius
Teabowl H. 4.5 cm Heintze, Höroldt’s first apprentice, Bonaventura
Saucer Ø 12.5 cm Under the patronage of Augustus the Strong, Gottlieb Häuer and Christian Friedrich Herold.19
From the Arthur and Hilde Elector of Saxony and King of Poland (1670-1733), Heintze, in his work log entries for the years
Weiner Collection. Accepted Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus (1651-1708) 1744-46 reveals that he also worked as a painter
by HM Government in lieu and Johann Friedrich Böttger (1682-1719) succeeded of ‘sea-voyages’.20
of inheritance tax and in the making of porcelain in 1708. Later in the
allocated to the V&A, 2006 same year, Böttger reported the invention of a Following Augustus the Strong’s death in 1733,
© Victoria and Albert glaze and, after Tschirnhaus’ death, became the Meissen landscapes with Western elements
Museum, London supervisor of the first European porcelain factory, completely replaced the Chinoiserie scenes
the Königlich-Polnische und Kurfürstlich-Sächsische previously favoured by the ruler as the most
Porzellanmanufaktur, commonly known today by popular decoration produced in the European
the name of its location, Meissen.15 The factory was factory.21 The influence of Höroldt’s composite
founded by royal decree on the 23rd of January 1710, views produced such an effect that they inspired
and produced mostly red stoneware and white both Chinese and European painters to decorate
porcelain copies of Chinese originals during its first their pieces with similar motifs, often also associated
decade. The development of enamels that could with the typical Meissen features of Böttger lustre
be fired at various temperatures at Meissen was cartouches and Laub- und Bandelwerk borders,
accomplished after the arrival of Johann Gregorius which came to be known as ‘Meissen-style’
Höroldt (1696-1775) in 1720, who had previously decoration. These consisted of a standard set
worked in the rival DuPaquier porcelain factory, in of elements for the framing devices developed
Vienna. By 1731 Höroldt had managed to develop by Höroldt, based on the lilac lustrous glaze
sixteen different colours16 and was appointed invented by Böttger, combined with feathery scroll
master painter, responsible for supervising and strapwork cartouches in gold and red, popular
a workshop beside the kilns in Albrechtsburg at Meissen from 1720 to 1750.22 These elements
Castle. Höroldt was also responsible for developing would be readily identified by Europeans and
the motifs to be painted on porcelain by himself therefore highly sought-after (fig. 6).
and the other painters in his workshop, mainly
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