Autumn

Art Historical Context

"Autumn," a delicate hard-paste porcelain sculpture from 19th century, the essence of the season through elegant figural forms, likely featuring both men and women in harmonious poses. Attributed to the workshops of Edmé Samson and Friedrich Elias Meyer, this stands at 10 1/8 inches tall and exemplifies the French porcelain tradition. Hard-paste porcelain, prized for its durability and translucency, enabled intricate modeling and vibrant polychrome enameling, mimicking the prized wares of earlier factories like Meissen and Sèvres. Edmé Samson's Paris firm, active from the mid-19th century, specialized in reproducing and reinterpreting 18th-century styles during a revival of Rococo aesthetics. This "Autumn" figure, part of a probable series representing the seasons, reflects the era's fascination with allegory and nature's cycles, blending classical motifs with contemporary decorative flair. Such works adorned bourgeois homes, symbolizing refinement and the passage of time. Now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts department, thanks to the Friedsam Collection bequest of 1931, it highlights the enduring appeal of porcelain as both art and craft. Visitors will appreciate its whimsical charm and masterful technique, a testament to 19th-century ingenuity.