Plate (part of a service)
Medium
Soft-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Diameter: 9 1/2 in. (24.1 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
French, Sèvres
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Emma T. Gary, 1934
Accession Number
37.20.157
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant plate, crafted by the renowned Sèvres Manufactory in1784, exemplifies the pinnacle of French porcelain artistry during the late Ancien Régime. Produced as part of a larger dinner service, it measures 9½ inches in diameter and features decorations by painters Jacques-François-Louis de Lar and Pierre-Jean-Baptiste Vandé. Adorned with flowing garlands of flowers, the design captures the opulent floral motifs favored in Sèvres wares, often evoking the lavish table settings of Versailles. Made from soft-paste porcelain—a Sèvres specialty prized for its creamy translucency and fine det...
About the Artist
Sèvres Manufactory|Jacques-François-Louis de Laroche|Pierre-Jean-Baptiste Vandé · 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...