Lot Essay
Cf. the examples sold by Christie's Geneva on 11 May 1981, lot 96 and 14 November 1983, lot 245; in these Rooms on 22 June 1992, lot 225 and 12 October 1995, lot 35.
THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN
THE COMMEDIA DELL'ARTE FIGURES
MADE FOR THE DUKE OF WEISSENFELS
The Commedia dell'arte series created for the Duke of Saxe Weissenfels, first cousin of Augustus III of Saxony, and derived from Joullain's engravings for Riccoboni's Histoire du Théâtre Italien, published in Paris in 1727, is of great interest for three reasons: it was the most extensive figure series so far created in porcelain; it was from a single engraved source; and it was the most important collaboration between J.J. Kändler and the young Peter Reinicke who had joined him a few years before in 1741.
Although the Commedia dell'Arte had been an established part of the subject matter of Meissen porcelain for some twenty years, the Weissenfels series was the first to cover the whole gamut of figures in one series. The Weissenfels series was the first substantial instance of figures derived from engraved sources and involved a new conceptual challenge, the recreation in the round of a two-dimensional image.
The definitive discussion of this series is still that by H.E. Backer, 'Komodienfiguren in der Sammlung Dr. Ernst Schneider', Keramik Freunde der Schweiz, no. 50, pp. 59-66.
A Meissen figure of Dr. Boloardo
CIRCA 1744
Details
A Meissen figure of Dr. Boloardo
Circa 1744
In black hat and cloak, red suit with gilt buttons and edging, yellow belt and rosettes and black shoes (minute restoration to edge of hat, slight chips to fingers of right hand and extended firing crack across cloak)
5½in. (14cm.) high
Circa 1744
In black hat and cloak, red suit with gilt buttons and edging, yellow belt and rosettes and black shoes (minute restoration to edge of hat, slight chips to fingers of right hand and extended firing crack across cloak)
5½in. (14cm.) high