Figure of John Wilkes
ca. 1775
Medium
Porcelain
Dimensions
H. 12 3/4 in. (32.4 cm)
Classification
Figure
Culture
British
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Fletcher Fund, 1944
Accession Number
44.89.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming porcelain figure of John Wilkes, produced by the renowned Chelsea Factory around 1775, the height of 18th-century British ceramic artistry. Standing at 12 3/4 inches tall, it belongs to the soft-paste porcelain tradition pioneered by Chelsea, England's pioneering porcelain manufactory (1743–1770, with later phases). These delicate, translucent wares were hand-molded and vibrantly enameled, often capturing contemporary figures in Rococo style—elegant, playful forms with intricate details in gilding and overglaze colors that brought whimsy to tabletops and mantelpieces. John Wilke...