Die Leiden des jungen Werther
Cup
ca. 1790 (made)
ca. 1790 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
The service of the fashionable hot drinks tea, coffee and chocolate was often the focal point of domestic social rituals in the eighteenth-century. Porcelain tea and coffee sets with matching trays (déjeuners) were made for one or two persons to serve themselves in private apartments. The design and elaboration of the decoration of the sets signalled their owner’s taste and wealth.
Tea and coffee were not served together at the same time, so the same saucers were often used with both tea and coffee cups. The design of tea cups evolved as the eighteenth century progressed, but tea cups were generally lower and more open in shape than coffee cups. However, it is clear from the records at Sèvres that in France at least certain shapes could be used interchangeably for coffee or tea.
This is one of a small number of tea and coffee sets very finely decorated with scenes from Goethe's novel 'The Sorrows of Young Werther' and made at the Meissen porcelain factory in the late 1780s. All have the same vessel shapes, and certain of the components of the several services are painted with the same subjects and scenes. Some of this decoration is after preliminary design drawings by Johann David Schubert (1761-1822), who worked as teacher of drawing at the factory's drawing school from 1786 and who became principal painter at the factory in 1795, and some of Schubert's designs were in turn copied from prints.
Tea and coffee were not served together at the same time, so the same saucers were often used with both tea and coffee cups. The design of tea cups evolved as the eighteenth century progressed, but tea cups were generally lower and more open in shape than coffee cups. However, it is clear from the records at Sèvres that in France at least certain shapes could be used interchangeably for coffee or tea.
This is one of a small number of tea and coffee sets very finely decorated with scenes from Goethe's novel 'The Sorrows of Young Werther' and made at the Meissen porcelain factory in the late 1780s. All have the same vessel shapes, and certain of the components of the several services are painted with the same subjects and scenes. Some of this decoration is after preliminary design drawings by Johann David Schubert (1761-1822), who worked as teacher of drawing at the factory's drawing school from 1786 and who became principal painter at the factory in 1795, and some of Schubert's designs were in turn copied from prints.
Object details
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Materials and techniques | Hard paste porcelain painted in enamel colours and gilt |
Brief description | Cup from a breakfast service, porcelain painted in enamel colours with scenes from Goethe's Sorrows of Young Werther, and gilt; probably painted by Johann David Schubert, made by Meissen porcelain factory, Germany, ca. 1790 |
Physical description | A tea or coffee cup, part of a breakfast service. Decorated with scenes in round or oval medallions from Die Leiden des jungen Werther [The Sorrows of Young Werther], a novel written in 1774 by Johann Wolfgang Goethe (1749-1832). |
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Gallery label |
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Object history | Part of a tea and coffee service (1328 to L-1871). |
Historical context | Goethe's novel, The Sorrows of Young Werther became a bestseller soon after its publication. The story parallels elements of Goethe's own experience. Werther falls in love with Lotte, a 19 year old who has already been engaged for four years to Albert, a man 11 years her senior. After failing to distance himself from Lotte and his futile love for her, Werther finally chooses suicide as his only release from his torment. |
Literary reference | Goethe, Johann Wolfgang. <font -u>Die Leiden des jungen Werther</font> [The Sorrows of Young Werther], 1774. |
Summary | The service of the fashionable hot drinks tea, coffee and chocolate was often the focal point of domestic social rituals in the eighteenth-century. Porcelain tea and coffee sets with matching trays (déjeuners) were made for one or two persons to serve themselves in private apartments. The design and elaboration of the decoration of the sets signalled their owner’s taste and wealth. Tea and coffee were not served together at the same time, so the same saucers were often used with both tea and coffee cups. The design of tea cups evolved as the eighteenth century progressed, but tea cups were generally lower and more open in shape than coffee cups. However, it is clear from the records at Sèvres that in France at least certain shapes could be used interchangeably for coffee or tea. This is one of a small number of tea and coffee sets very finely decorated with scenes from Goethe's novel 'The Sorrows of Young Werther' and made at the Meissen porcelain factory in the late 1780s. All have the same vessel shapes, and certain of the components of the several services are painted with the same subjects and scenes. Some of this decoration is after preliminary design drawings by Johann David Schubert (1761-1822), who worked as teacher of drawing at the factory's drawing school from 1786 and who became principal painter at the factory in 1795, and some of Schubert's designs were in turn copied from prints. |
Bibliographic reference | Müller-Scherf, Angelika. Wertherporzellan Petersberg : Michale Imhof Verlag GmbH & Co., 2009 ISBN 9783865684592. This sugar bowl is catalogue no. 7.6. The decoration is based on Schubert’s watercolour sketch catalogue no. 26, p. 136. Werther is seen lying down propped up on one elbow in a garden under a tree. He has a bowl of peas next to him and is reading while shelling a peapod. (The book is significant as it is probably the portable copy of Homer given to Werther by Lotte after he had bemoaned the fact that he could not carry his own large edition around with him on his walks, proof of her sensitivity and empathy for the young man, or possibly his copy of Ossian which also has a significant role later in the story.) The same scene is depicted on one of the teacups in the private collection service, 8.5, p. 116. It is also depicted on one of the Stuttgart service cups, but was clearly painted by a different hand, 6.7, p. 95. |
Collection | |
Accession number | 1328E-1871 |
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Record created | April 7, 2004 |
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