Amintas Freeing Sylvia
Original title: Amintas Freeing Sylvia
kurzbeschreibung
This Höchst Manufactory porcelain group, made around 1770, brings before the viewer a moving episode from Torquato Tasso's pastoral poem Aminta. Aminta, in a green jacket and lilac breeches, stands in lively conversation with the nearly unclothed Sylvia, who wears a yellow-pink gown, on a rocky base.
Description
Aminta stands on a rock holding a pink veil, while Sylvia lies stretched out on the ground with her arms raised. Strong greens, lilacs, yellows and pinks enliven the figures, whose porcelain skin is overlaid with delicate patterns. A blossom-decked tree trunk accompanies the scene. The irregular arrangement and wide-reaching gestures give the image its tension. Even light without hard shadows brings out the modeling.
Context
Founded in 1746, the Höchst porcelain manufactory was among the leading producers in the German-speaking lands during the eighteenth century. Around 1770, in the Rococo period, rustic and mythological subjects were in demand. The material comes from Torquato Tasso's pastoral play Aminta (1573), which was widely circulated in the eighteenth century. Groups like this served as representative table decoration for courtly and bourgeois circles.
Impact
The strong coloring and impassioned gestures stir feeling at once. Fine execution and rich painting give the group a precious, almost gemlike radiance. The animated arrangement draws the eye and carries the drama of the moment depicted.
Technique
Hard-paste porcelain, fired at high temperatures and then painted with high-fire and muffle colors, forms the basis. The figures are freely modeled and fixed to a rocky base painted green and brown. Faces, garments and flowers reveal precise handwork.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)