Figure thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 139, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

Figure

ca. 1750-1755 (made)
Artist/Maker
Doccia Porcelain Factory (manufacturer)
Bruschi, Gaspero (modeller)
Place of origin
Doccia (made)

Figure in hard-paste porcelain painted with enamels and gilded of the Doctor from The Italian Comedy. He stands with his right arm held out and holding a gilt-edged book in his left. He wears a black mask, white collar, wide-brimmed hat, full-skirted black jacket and cloak, black breeches, stockings, shoes, and a gilt belt. Square low base marbled in brown and yellow.


Object details

Categories
Ceramics
Porcelain
Object type
Figure
Materials and techniques
Hard-paste porcelain painted with enamels and gilded
Hard Paste Porcelain
Painted
Gilded
Brief description
Figure in hard-paste porcelain of the Doctor from The Italian Comedy, probably modelled by Gaspero Bruschi, Doccia porcelain factory, Doccia, ca. 1750-55.
Physical description
Figure in hard-paste porcelain painted with enamels and gilded of the Doctor from The Italian Comedy. He stands with his right arm held out and holding a gilt-edged book in his left. He wears a black mask, white collar, wide-brimmed hat, full-skirted black jacket and cloak, black breeches, stockings, shoes, and a gilt belt. Square low base marbled in brown and yellow.
Dimensions
  • Height: 10.5cm
Gallery label
The Doctor from The Italian Comedy Porcelain ITALY (DOCCIA); about 1760-1770 Gift of Mr W.A.J. Floersheim C.177-1931 (Label draft attributed to John V. G. Mallet, ca. 1995)(ca. 1995)
Credit line
Given by Mr W.A.J. Floersheim
Subject depicted
Doctor
Bibliographic references
  • Frescobaldi Malenchini, Livia ed. With Balleri, Rita and Rucellai, Oliva, ‘Amici di Doccia Quaderni, Numero VII, 2013, The Victoria and Albert Museum Collection’, Edizioni Polistampa, Firenze, 2014 pp. 59-60, Cat. 33 33. Figure of il Dottore 1755-1760 hard-paste porcelain painted in colours and gold h 9,8 cm under the base a line incised inv. Mr C.177-1931 gift: Mr W.A.J. Floersheim This figure is decorated almost entirely in black and gold and stands on a square base that is painted to look like marble. The figure represents a Commedia dell’ Arte character, Dottore also known as Dottor Baloardo or Balanzone (CHILTON 2001, p. 55-58), and can be dated to around the end of the First Period (1737-1757). It was probably made by the chief modeler at the Ginori factory, Gaspero Bruschi. Although figures of this type are usually dated to the Second Period (1758- 1791), the series of statuettes representing Commedia dell’ Arte characters was actually already Being made in 1749, as is demonstrated both by a receipt for payment to Giuseppe Romei for painting a figure of Pulcinella (D’AGLIANO 2007, p. 21 note 20) and a letter sent the same year by Andrea Ruffo, Prince of Fortezza, to Carlo Ginori, which mentions “otto personaggi istrioni” (eight play actors, BIANCALANA 2009, p. 88). The figure of the Dottore, like the other Commedia figures was produced in two different sizes: one about 10 cm tall, which corresponds to the one in the Victoria & Albert Museum, and represents the character wearing a large black hat and carrying a book under his left arm and another version which is listed in the inventories as being “9 soldi di altezza” (about 20-22 cm tall) which may be the one used on a glass-cooler that is now in the Museo Civico in Turin (D’AGLIANO 2007, p. 16, fig. 7). This character is similar to the one in an engraving by Martin Engelbrecht, datable around 1740, in which there are also other Commedia characters and the Dottore is referred to as “Dottor Scatalon Bolognese” (D’AGLIANO 2001, p. 258). It is interesting to note that the figure of the Dottore as well as some other Commedia dell’ Arte characters, were being produced about the same time by the Viennese porcelain factory in the period immediately following the direction of Du Paquier, in particular from1744 to 1749. The Commedia figures are mentioned in the Inventory of Moulds (around 1791-1806) in Room Six: “23 moulds representing actors, male and female shepherds and each one is marked with this number. 21 of the moulds are in two-pieces and two of them consist of a single piece” (D’AGLIANO 2010, p. 131-132). At the Richard-Ginori factory in Sesto Fiorentino there is a biscuit version of this statuette (B 1163) which was made in 1960 using the original model (D’AGLIANO 2010, p. 131, fig. 4). For other Commedia dell’Arte figures, see catt. 29-33. A. d’A. Bibliography: LANE 1954, plate 60B; GINORI LISCI 1963, plate XXXIII
  • Jansen, Reinhard (ed.), Commedia dell'arte : Fest der Komödianten : Keramische Kostbarkeiten den Museen der Welt, Stuttgart, 2001
Collection
Ceramics Collection
Accession number
C.177-1931

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O333852/figure-bruschi-gaspero/
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