Plate
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Diameter: 9 5/8 in. (24.4 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
French, Sèvres
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Lewis Einstein, 1962
Accession Number
62.165.16
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 ...
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...