The Reaper (Le Moissonneur)
Original title: The Reaper (Le Moissonneur)
kurzbeschreibung
The porcelain figure Der Schnitter (Le Moissonneur) was made around 1753–54 at the Vincennes Manufactory. Crafted in soft-paste porcelain, it depicts a harvester in traditional dress, carrying a scythe and a bundle of moss. Standing 19.7 cm high, the figure rests on a decorated pedestal.
Description
A harvester dressed in traditional clothing adorned with blue stripes and patterns forms the subject. On his head he wears a wide-brimmed hat with blue decoration. In his right hand he holds a scythe, in his left a bundle of moss; the pedestal is also decorated with moss. White and blue dominate the palette, as is typical for porcelain figures of this period. The light highlights the details of the clothing and moss, executed in a realistic style.
Context
Founded in 1740, the Vincennes Manufactory was the forerunner of the later Manufacture nationale de Sèvres. From the 1740s it produced soft-paste porcelain as a rival to imported East Asian wares. During this time the manufactory became known for its fine porcelain figures, often depicting rural or allegorical motifs. Such figures frequently served as table decoration or were made for private collectors.
Impact
Clear lines and the restrained palette of white and blue give the figure elegance and naturalness at once. The realistic rendering of the harvester conveys a calm, idyllic presence characteristic of 18th-century porcelain art.
Technique
Soft-paste porcelain, a mixture of clay, glaze and other additives fired at lower temperatures than hard-paste porcelain, forms the material of the figure. Details such as the clothing patterns and the moss were painted into the glaze or modelled. At 19.7 cm high, it is a small-scale sculpture intended for decorative display.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)