Figure thumbnail 1
Figure thumbnail 2
+2
images
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Figure

ca. 1765 (made)
Artist/Maker
Sèvres Porcelain Factory (maker)
Place of origin
Sèvres (made)

Etienne Falconet (1716-1791) was one of the most accomplished French modellers of his time. He designed this pair of figures of Cupid, the classical god of love, and Psyche. The fine-grained, soft biscuit porcelain of Sèvres perfectly reproduces the full subtlety of the design. Hard-paste biscuit porcelain was still made after the French Revolution of 1789. It continued to be made throughout the 1800s and later. Potters either reproduced old models or attempted to find a modern idiom.

Object details

Categories
Ceramics
Porcelain
Figures & Decorative Ceramics
Object type
Figure
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Figure
  • Stand
Brief description
Biscuit porcelain figure and enamelled stand depicting Cupid.
Dimensions
  • Height: 30.5cm
Credit line
Bequeathed by John Jones
Summary
Etienne Falconet (1716-1791) was one of the most accomplished French modellers of his time. He designed this pair of figures of Cupid, the classical god of love, and Psyche. The fine-grained, soft biscuit porcelain of Sèvres perfectly reproduces the full subtlety of the design. Hard-paste biscuit porcelain was still made after the French Revolution of 1789. It continued to be made throughout the 1800s and later. Potters either reproduced old models or attempted to find a modern idiom.
Associated objects
Bibliographic references
  • Hildyard, Robin. European Ceramics. London : V&A Publications, 1999. 144 p., ill. ISBN 185177260X
  • William King, Catalogue of the Jones Collection, II, Ceramics, ormolu, goldsmiths' work, enamels, sculpture, tapestry, books, and prints (London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1924), pp.16-17, no. 139-40
  • Savill, Rosalind. The Wallace Collection: Catalogue of Sèvres Porcelain, 3 vols. London: Trustees of the Wallace Collection, 1988. See Vol. II, pp. 823-834 for a pair of the Cupid and Psyche biscuit models, C492-3 and their pedestals.
Collection
Ceramics Collection
Accession number
804:1, 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 Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis.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

Record createdNovember 27, 2002
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O70867/figure-sèvres-porcelain-factory/
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest