Plate

Art Historical Context

This elegant plate from the Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory, painted by Jean-Pierre Fumez in 1791, exemplifies the pinnacle of French luxury ceramics during a turbulent era. Produced at the renowned royal factory in Sèvres—long favored by the French court for its technical mastery— the piece is crafted from hard-paste porcelain, a durable, translucent material perfected by Sèvres in the late 18th century. This medium allowed for intricate painting and gilding that rivaled painting on canvas, making such tableware both functional art and status symbols. Measuring 9⅝ inches in diameter, the plate features delicate hand-painted scenes of human figures amid houses and trees, evoking pastoral idylls popular in Revolutionary France. As the monarchy crumbled just a year later, Sèvres adapted under new republican patronage, blending neoclassical elegance with everyday motifs. Fumez's skilled enameling technique—firing pigments at high temperatures for vibrant, lasting color—highlights the manufactory's innovative processes, which influenced European porcelain production for generations. Today, this gift to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1962 invites visitors to appreciate how Sèvres bridged opulent ancien régime traditions with modern sensibilities, turning a simple plate into a window on history.

About the Artist

Sèvres Manufactory|Jean-Pierre Fumez · 1740–present

The Sèvres Manufactory, one of Europe's premier porcelain producers, was established in 1740 as the Manufacture de Vincennes under the patronage of Queen Marie Leszczyńska, who sought to rival Meissen and Chantilly porcelains with French soft-paste innovations. Initially a private venture, it relocated to Sèvres in 1756 in a purpose-built facility designed by architect Laurent Lindet near Madame d...