Emmerich Joseph, Prince-Bishop of Mainz
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions
9 1/4 × 16 × 4 3/4 in. (23.5 × 40.6 × 12.1 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
German, Höchst
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of R. Thornton Wilson, in memory of Florence Ellsworth Wilson, 1945
Accession Number
45.61.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite hard-paste porcelain sculpture, around 1770 by the Hö Manufactory with modeling by Johann Peter Melchior depicts Emmerich Joseph, Prince-Bishop of Mainz (1704–1774), surrounded by playful putti. Standing at nearly 16 inches wide, the piece exemplifies the Rococo style's love for elaborate, whimsical decoration, with the bishop's dignified portrait framed by cherubic figures symbolizing divine favor and ecclesiastical authority. Höchst, a pioneering German porcelain factory near Frankfurt founded in 1746, rivaled Meissen in producing true hard-paste porcelain—fired at high tempe...