Limited Masterworks Wall painting Graphic scenes

The wall panel "Graphic Scenes after Höroldt" crafted from Meissen porcelain, limited to just 15 pieces, unites the long tradition of Chinoiserie with timeless elegance.

In the 18th century, Europe experienced a profound fascination with the exotic - particularly with distant China. This so-called Chinoiserie fashion shaped the art, fashion, and architecture of the time, reflecting not reality but rather idealized visions of a peaceful courtly life. At the MEISSEN porcelain manufactory, these motifs were also embraced with great enthusiasm and translated into exquisite works of art.

Central to this development was the work of Johann Gregorius Höroldt (1696-1775). As the creator of the first Meissen porcelain colors, he used his innovations to adapt Chinese motifs with the utmost precision and imagination. Drawing from copperplate engravings and travel illustrations of the Asian continent, he developed a collection of pattern sheets that is now known as the famous Schulz Codex.

On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of Höroldt's death, the MEISSEN manufactory dedicates a series of artworks to its great painter, keeping his legacy alive. Characteristic of this oeuvre is the combination of Chinoiserie motifs with rich Indian-style painting.

On this 49 x 49 cm wall panel, Meissen porcelain painter Anett Gerner presents the full splendor of the genre: against an intense raspberry-red ground unfolds a scene of elegantly dressed Chinese figures at a tea ceremony, surrounded by birds and plants. Framing the composition are stylized blossoms and floral tendrils, whose graphic precision recalls the Chinese porcelains of Meissen's early years.

Then as now, "Chinoiseries after Höroldt" such as this wall panel stand among the highlights of European porcelain art - a refined work that unites history, imagination, and masterful craftsmanship