Apple stealers
Medium
Soft-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Height: 8 9/16 in. (21.7 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
Italian, Naples
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1964
Accession Number
64.101.342
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Created in Naples between 1747 and 1749, “Apple Stealers” exemplifies the lively spirit of Capodimonte porcelain during the reign of Charles III. Modeler Giuseppe Gricci captured a playful scene of children, dogs, and a woman amid a tumble of apples, transforming a lighthearted moment into a small sculptural group. At just over eight inches tall, the piece was designed for intimate display on shelves or tables, reflecting the era’s taste for charming, conversation-starting objects in aristocratic homes. Soft-paste porcelain, the medium used here, allowed for delicate modeling and a warm, slightly translucent surface that suited the Rococo preference for graceful movement and naturalistic detail. Gricci’s sensitive handling of the material gave the figures lively expressions and fluid drapery, while the glossy glaze enhanced the sense of ripe fruit and tousled hair. Such narrative groups helped establish Capodimonte as one of Europe’s leading porcelain factories, bridging courtly art with everyday storytelling. Today the work resides in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection thanks to a generous gift in 1964, offering visitors a glimpse into eighteenth-century Neapolitan wit and craftsmanship.
About the Artist
Giuseppe Gricci|Capodimonte Porcelain Manufactory (Italian|Italian) · 1695 |1740 –1775 |1759
Italian, ca. 1700–1770|Italian, 1740/43–1759