One of the characteristic features of Homo sapiens is a craving for beauty. At the same time, it’s not enough for many people to simply admire beautiful objects of art - they also seek to own them. It is from here that the “legs grow” of such a popular hobby as collecting. An important place in the structure of this hobby is porcelain gathering. Of greatest interest are antique products of European brands. We will tell you about one of them in this article.
Meissen porcelain: photos and main features
Porcelain is a ceramic product that is widely used by man in everyday life, art, and architecture. The Chinese invented this artificial material in the 7th century. However, the Europeans did not know how to obtain porcelain for another thousand years! And only in 1708, the Saxon alchemist I.F. Bettger managed to open it to Europe. Thus was born the famous Meissen porcelain (Meissen).
From the first years of its existence, Meissen porcelain has gained incredible popularity. It was collected by princes and kings, rich and presidents. Every self-respecting lover of the beautiful sought to have a product of this manufactory in his collection.
Meissen porcelain always makes a very strong impression with its appearance. What is the secret of this product? There are three main reasons for its popularity:
- The use of unique colors, the recipes of which are strictly classified so far.
- The use of exclusively hand-painted in the design of figures and services.
- Attracting the best artists, sculptors and engravers to design products.
By the way, today the service from porcelain “Meissen bouquet” is quite popular. However, it has nothing to do with the oldest manufactory in Europe described in our article. This service is a product of the famous Czech brand Bernadotte.
Another interesting fact: there is a special kind of violet - "Meissen porcelain." It is characterized by abundant and very beautiful flowering. The violet flowers are dull white with a wavy blue border and really resemble the products of the eminent German plant.
A Brief History of Meissen Manufactory
The first porcelain factory in Europe was launched in the summer of 1710 in the city of Meissen (Meissen) in eastern Germany. Production was established in a powerful, well-fortified castle, which has survived to this day. The alchemist Johann Friedrich Bettger was imprisoned in it.
Monarch of Saxony Augustus Strong ordered him to receive gold. But not one of Bettger's experiments in this direction was successful. But he managed to “rediscover” hard porcelain, the secret of which the Chinese have kept in the strictest confidence for centuries.
In secular Europe at the beginning of the 18th century, porcelain was valued slightly less than gold. It is curious that Bettger’s so valuable discovery was in no way appreciated. He was left as a prisoner, and he died at the age of 38. Tourists and visitors to Meissen Castle are still scared by the ghost of the inventor of china.
Meissen porcelain in Europe very quickly became a cult subject, and real money streams flowed into the treasury of Saxony. Due to its high quality and bright colors, Meissen manufactory products soon gained worldwide fame. By the way, about 40% of Saxon porcelain was acquired by nobles from the Russian Empire.
Meissen factory: artists and styles
The European invention of porcelain in time coincided with the spread of such a style in art as Rococo. Of course, this could not but be reflected in the appearance of the Meissen manufactory products at an early stage. In addition, the Saxon Elector was fascinated by Chinese porcelain. Therefore, in the Meissen products, the style of chinoiserie was also clearly visible.
Artists from the Meissen manufactory and Japanese-style kakiemon worked. At the same time, Karl Geroldt significantly expanded the color palette of this direction. Hugo Stein, William Baring and German Seilinger went down in the history of the plant as the authors of the original underglaze painting of sets and vases.
In general, dozens of eminent European artists worked and continue to work at the Meissen Porcelain Factory. Among them: Erich Hezel, Heinrich Schwabe, Peter Reinike, Paul Scheurich, Alexander Struck, Heinz Werner. And this is not a complete list of craftsmen who have contributed to the development of the manufactory.
Porcelain meissen today
The stigma of Meissen porcelain for many years has become the standard of the highest quality and unsurpassed decoration. It has the appearance of two crossed blue sabers. Since 1720, the brand of the plant has repeatedly changed (how exactly - see the next photo).
Today, half of Meissen porcelain products are services. Another 35% are various sculptures, figures and figurines. The rest of the products are special tiles for art panels. It is important to note that the target audience of the porcelain factory has changed little over the past three centuries. Meissen services are still bought only by high-ranking persons and rich.
Meissen porcelain is over 175 thousand items of various products and about 10, 000 colors and shades. Selected products of the plant are stored today in the Dresden Museum, the Metro, the Louvre, the Hermitage, and the Tretyakov Gallery. By the way, the first samples of Meissen porcelain came to Russia in 1728. In exchange, Princess Elizabeth gave away for them several polar bears that the elector of Saxony needed for his personal menagerie.
Meissen Porcelain: Figurines
Porcelain figurines are one of the main products of the Meissen manufactory. Among the sculptors of the German factory, it is worth highlighting Paul Scheurich. On his account - more than a hundred figurines and compositions created in the Art Deco style. The creations of Peter Reinecke and Johann Kendler enjoyed no less success.
The latter created the famous Monkey Orchestra collection, consisting of 22 figures of monkey musicians. Each of them plays its own instrument. There are also singers among them. The Monkey Orchestra collection is of great value among collectors and porcelain fans.
It is important to note that the price of the statues of the Meissen Porcelain Factory is quite high. It depends, first of all, on the age of a particular product and its circulation. In general, prices for original Meissen figures start at 30 thousand and reach three or more million rubles.
A little about onion decor
The so-called "bulbous decor" is an original hand-painted bright blue. Its author is the artist of the Meissen manufactory Johannes Kretschmar. Today, onion decor is known worldwide and is associated with the Meissen brand. The main elements of this unique painting include the following:
- Lotus.
- Bamboo.
- Pion.
- Chrysanthemum.
- Peach.
- Garnet.
By the way, pomegranates at Kretschmar looked more like onions (the master simply did not know what this outlandish fruit really looked like). That is why the painting was jokingly called “onion” or “onion”.
Panel "Procession of Kings"
Talking about Meissen porcelain, one cannot fail to mention the "Procession of the Kings." This is a grandiose wall panel in Dresden, which was laid out of 25 thousand tiles made at the Meissen factory. The length of the composition is 102 meters, the height is 9.5 meters.
The panel was created at the beginning of the twentieth century. It depicts 95 people. Among them are the kings and electors of Saxony, margraves, scholars, artists, soldiers, peasants and children. The painting also contains horses and dogs. Almost all participants in this procession are men. The female gender is represented by only one girl at the very end of the panel.
