vase à panneaux
Vase and Cover
ca. 1773-80 (made)
ca. 1773-80 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
The most important French porcelain factory was founded in 1740 in the royal chateau of Vincennes. In 1756 it was transferred to Sèvres, to the south-west of Paris, and shortly after was bought by the king, Louis XV. The Sèvres factory was conviently located on the road to Versailles, the seat of royal power. The support and protection of the king and his mistress, Madame de Pompadour, enabled the factory to secure the best artists, sculptors, designers and chemists. Sèvres soon became the most sought after porcelain in Europe.
In the eighteenth century, vases were often displayed on furniture or chimney-pieces, usually in front of a mirror. Rosalind Savill, in her catalogue of the Wallace Collection Sèvres porcelain states in her introduction to the 'Vases' section (vol. 1) that Louis XVI's inventory of porcelain at Versailles shows Sèvres in most rooms, including sets of vases, or garnitures as they were known. This model was launched in 1766 and was known as vase 'à panneaux' or vase 'à perles', no doubt because of the porcelain 'pearls' around the rim of the vases' necks and all over the covers. The shape appears to have been popular and was produced until the 1790s. The panels are painted with quaysides scenes depicting officers and sailors handling cargoes and these were used on a number of surviving imposing vases such as these but are also sometimes found on teacups and smaller vases used for bulbs or flowers. Known examples date from about 1760-1790 and the painter who made this subject his speciality was Jean-Louis Morin (1732-87). Rosalind Savill suggests that these 'marines' as they were known, were possibly based on the work of Dutch seventeenth-century marine painters such as Ludolf Backhuisen or Johann Lingelbach, Teniers, or contemporary French painters such as Joseph Vernet or Lacroix de Marseille, with the details being adapted for porcelain panels by the head of the painters' workshop, Jean-Baptiste-Etienne Genest. A pair of vases of the same shape with more elaborate versions of the same scenes is in the Royal Collection. In his catalogue of this collection, Geoffrey de Bellaigue cites a further six known examples of them, some signed by Morin and others attributed to him. The plain ground colours of the 1750s become are often enriched with gilded patterns from the mid 1760s onwards. This is sometimes described as pois d'or, mouches d'or or sablé d'or in the factory records.
Savill, Rosalind. The Wallace Collection: Catalogue of Sèvres Porcelain, London: Trustees of the Wallace Collection, 1988, 3 vols.
Geoffrey de Bellaigue. French Porcelain in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen, London, Royal Collection Publications, 2009, 3 vols.
In the eighteenth century, vases were often displayed on furniture or chimney-pieces, usually in front of a mirror. Rosalind Savill, in her catalogue of the Wallace Collection Sèvres porcelain states in her introduction to the 'Vases' section (vol. 1) that Louis XVI's inventory of porcelain at Versailles shows Sèvres in most rooms, including sets of vases, or garnitures as they were known. This model was launched in 1766 and was known as vase 'à panneaux' or vase 'à perles', no doubt because of the porcelain 'pearls' around the rim of the vases' necks and all over the covers. The shape appears to have been popular and was produced until the 1790s. The panels are painted with quaysides scenes depicting officers and sailors handling cargoes and these were used on a number of surviving imposing vases such as these but are also sometimes found on teacups and smaller vases used for bulbs or flowers. Known examples date from about 1760-1790 and the painter who made this subject his speciality was Jean-Louis Morin (1732-87). Rosalind Savill suggests that these 'marines' as they were known, were possibly based on the work of Dutch seventeenth-century marine painters such as Ludolf Backhuisen or Johann Lingelbach, Teniers, or contemporary French painters such as Joseph Vernet or Lacroix de Marseille, with the details being adapted for porcelain panels by the head of the painters' workshop, Jean-Baptiste-Etienne Genest. A pair of vases of the same shape with more elaborate versions of the same scenes is in the Royal Collection. In his catalogue of this collection, Geoffrey de Bellaigue cites a further six known examples of them, some signed by Morin and others attributed to him. The plain ground colours of the 1750s become are often enriched with gilded patterns from the mid 1760s onwards. This is sometimes described as pois d'or, mouches d'or or sablé d'or in the factory records.
Savill, Rosalind. The Wallace Collection: Catalogue of Sèvres Porcelain, London: Trustees of the Wallace Collection, 1988, 3 vols.
Geoffrey de Bellaigue. French Porcelain in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen, London, Royal Collection Publications, 2009, 3 vols.
Object details
Category | |
Object type | |
Parts | This object consists of 4 parts.
|
Titles |
|
Materials and techniques | soft-paste porcelain |
Brief description | Vase and cover decorated with a harbour scene |
Physical description | Pair of vases (vase 'à panneaux' or ' vase à perles', soft-paste porcelain, Sèvres, about 1773-80, with harbour scenes probably by Jean-Louis Morin |
Dimensions |
|
Credit line | Bequeathed by John Jones |
Production | The covers to both vases are later replacements |
Summary | The most important French porcelain factory was founded in 1740 in the royal chateau of Vincennes. In 1756 it was transferred to Sèvres, to the south-west of Paris, and shortly after was bought by the king, Louis XV. The Sèvres factory was conviently located on the road to Versailles, the seat of royal power. The support and protection of the king and his mistress, Madame de Pompadour, enabled the factory to secure the best artists, sculptors, designers and chemists. Sèvres soon became the most sought after porcelain in Europe. In the eighteenth century, vases were often displayed on furniture or chimney-pieces, usually in front of a mirror. Rosalind Savill, in her catalogue of the Wallace Collection Sèvres porcelain states in her introduction to the 'Vases' section (vol. 1) that Louis XVI's inventory of porcelain at Versailles shows Sèvres in most rooms, including sets of vases, or garnitures as they were known. This model was launched in 1766 and was known as vase 'à panneaux' or vase 'à perles', no doubt because of the porcelain 'pearls' around the rim of the vases' necks and all over the covers. The shape appears to have been popular and was produced until the 1790s. The panels are painted with quaysides scenes depicting officers and sailors handling cargoes and these were used on a number of surviving imposing vases such as these but are also sometimes found on teacups and smaller vases used for bulbs or flowers. Known examples date from about 1760-1790 and the painter who made this subject his speciality was Jean-Louis Morin (1732-87). Rosalind Savill suggests that these 'marines' as they were known, were possibly based on the work of Dutch seventeenth-century marine painters such as Ludolf Backhuisen or Johann Lingelbach, Teniers, or contemporary French painters such as Joseph Vernet or Lacroix de Marseille, with the details being adapted for porcelain panels by the head of the painters' workshop, Jean-Baptiste-Etienne Genest. A pair of vases of the same shape with more elaborate versions of the same scenes is in the Royal Collection. In his catalogue of this collection, Geoffrey de Bellaigue cites a further six known examples of them, some signed by Morin and others attributed to him. The plain ground colours of the 1750s become are often enriched with gilded patterns from the mid 1760s onwards. This is sometimes described as pois d'or, mouches d'or or sablé d'or in the factory records. Savill, Rosalind. The Wallace Collection: Catalogue of Sèvres Porcelain, London: Trustees of the Wallace Collection, 1988, 3 vols. Geoffrey de Bellaigue. French Porcelain in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen, London, Royal Collection Publications, 2009, 3 vols. |
Bibliographic references |
|
Collection | |
Accession number | 785A/2-1882 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
Record created | April 22, 2009 |
Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest