Lady at her Breakfast
Original title: Lady at her Breakfast
kurzbeschreibung
A lady in a richly patterned dress sits at breakfast holding a cup, while a servant in traditional dress offers her another cup from across the table. This hard-paste porcelain group was made in Vienna between 1737 and 1744 and measures 15.9 × 20.3 × 13.7 cm. Its subject draws on a courtly genre scene of breakfast.
Description
At a set table a woman sits, her floral-decorated dress catching the eye; a cup rests in her hand. A servant in traditional clothing stands to the side, presenting another vessel. On the tabletop a jug, several cups and a small bowl are spread out. A restrained ground lets the main subject stand out, while the palette remains lively and the bright porcelain contrasts clearly with the background.
Context
The group was produced at the Vienna Porcelain Manufactory, founded in 1718 as the second of its kind in Europe and operating under imperial privilege. Between 1737 and 1744 it made sophisticated figures and groups in the Rococo style for court use. Such everyday scenes were popular with the nobility and the wealthy bourgeoisie and served as representative table decoration.
Impact
Lively colours and precise workmanship make the group immediately accessible and convey a sense of courtly elegance. Carefully modelled figures meet a contrasting ground, so the layout stays clear and the eye is drawn to the interplay between the two people.
Technique
Hard-paste porcelain was used, fired at high temperature from kaolin, feldspar and quartz. The figures were probably cast in moulds first, then reworked by hand and painted with overglaze colours. The precise, finely tuned execution points to high-quality craft production.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)