Fired by Passion, Vienna Baroque Porcelain of Claudius Innocentius du Paquier AN OVERVIEW OF THE PUBLICATION Meredith Chilton Editor-in-Chief of Fired by Passion n May 27, 1718, Claudius Innocentius du Paquier and collection of Viennese porcelain which included examples of three partners were granted a special privilege by the Du Paquier, and he was swiftly followed by others. In turn these OHoly Roman Emperor, Charles VI. It enabled them to collections spurred the first exhibitions of Vienna porcelain manufacture porcelain without competition in the Austrian do- and key publications by Dr. Edmund Wilhelm Braun and Josef minions with “our especial imperial, royal and princely protec- Folnesics at the beginning of the 20th century, followed by tion” for the next twenty-five years.1 Du Paquier’s manufactory other exhibitions and publications on Du Paquier written by was the second to make hard-paste porcelain in Europe, but its John Hayward, Wilhelm Mrazek, Waltraud Neuwirth, Elisabeth role in the history of ceramics has seldom received the recog- Sturm-Bednarczyk, and Claudia Lehner-Jobst, among others. nition it deserves. It existed for only a brief quarter century, The impetus for this new study was the passionate desire until 1744, and produced unmarked wares in much smaller of Melinda and Paul Sullivan to share their love of Du Paquier quantities than Meissen, so its name gradually faded from porcelain, so that more people could be “enthralled by the memory. beauty of the porcelain” and “the true place of Du Paquier Although Du Paquier porcelain remained in the possession porcelain in the history of ceramics” could be recognized.3 As of the nobility (such as the princely families of Liechtenstein, a result, a major three-volume history of the manufactory was Esterházy, and Thurn und Taxis, among others), in great Aus- published by the Melinda and Paul Sullivan Foundation for the trian religious foundations (such as Sankt Florian and Decorative Arts with ARNOLDSCHE Art Publishers in separate Klosterneuburg), and in princely and royal collections abroad, English and German editions. This publication has enabled the it is only after the 1860s that the name of the factory is men- manufactory to be studied comprehensively from different per- tioned by historians. Some early private and public collections spectives for the first time in fifty years. Such an ambitious initially identified Du Paquier porcelain as Italian.2 In the project could not be undertaken by one person, and a group of 1870s the industrialist Karl Mayer began to amass a systematic scholars was assembled from Austria, Germany, England, the 21 United States, and Canada, with contributions from other cessities for personal comfort and gallantry, and is followed by scholars in Hungary and Russia. an important study by Katharina Hantschmann of the place of The Sullivan Foundation enabled groups of these scholars porcelain in the complex ceremonial of dining at the Viennese to study together in key collections in Vienna, Munich, St. Pe- court, along with material on Viennese culinary preferences tersburg, Turin, Hartford, New York, and Toronto. Museums, li- and recipes. Meredith Chilton examines the use of Du Paquier braries, and private collectors all over Europe and North as vessels for drinking and as part of the extravagancies of the America generously opened their doors to facilitate research dessert course, and Ghenete Zelleke reveals its acquisition and and photography, and a use as precious gifts be- spirit of collaboration yond the borders of the prevailed. The Internet Austrian dominions, proved to be an invalu- with particular refer- able resource, as partic- ence to porcelain sent ipants were able to to the Ottoman and share archival docu- Russian courts. The vol- ments, images, and ume concludes with a ideas. Photographs of groundbreaking new key collections were study of the Dubsky taken by Joe Coscia, Jr., Room by Samuel Wit- and other photographs twer. were commissioned or Both volumes are amassed from more lavishly illustrated in than 300 institutions colour. Melinda Sulli- and collections as dis- van wanted in particu- tant as Australia, Cali- lar to enable readers to fornia, Denmark, and experience the porce- Turkey. Archives were lain visually and per- explored, texts were sonally, as though each transcribed, and the piece were held in the cupboards of far-flung hand and turned from museums and little- side to side and even known collections were upside down. Detailed scoured for potential photographs enable the discoveries of undocu- beauty, whimsy, and mented objects and re- unique nature of each lated materials. piece to be discovered The goal was to pro- and appreciated. Spe- duce as complete an ex- cial pages illustrating amination as possible groups of decorative de- of Du Paquier, yet make it accessible to both scholarly and non- tails or the distinctive Laub und Bandelwerk borders found scholarly audiences. To this end, a plan for the publication was on Du Paquier, as well as surprising double-pages that fold out hard-paste porcelain. A colour catalogue of all the Du Paquier Figure 2, Ensemble for chocolate, 1735-40 mapped out and a series of essays planned. The first chapter to permit comparison of similar objects or groups of vases, pieces illustrated in the first two volumes, along with other key Hard-paste porcelain, unmarked gold mounts, glass (possibly a later replacement), lapis lazuli; overall l. 21.4 cm places the manufactory in its historical and artistic context in bring the pieces even more to life. Each page was individually works, is included, as well as an inventory of the Dubsky Room, Vienna, Du Paquier manufactory an essay by Johann Kräftner, who sets the stage for the publi- designed by gifted designers Silke Nalbach and Karina biographical information on the manufactory staff, a glossary, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Irwin Untermyer, cation with his evocative description and gorgeous illustrations Moschke, working closely with Melinda Sullivan, whose cre- maps and other charts, a consolidated bibliography, and a de- 68.141.282, 283, 284. of the architectural renaissance and decorative splendour of ative vision infuses the publication. tailed index. In a sleeve on the inside of the back cover is a CD- Photography by Joseph Coscia, Jr. Vienna after the defeat of the Turks in 1683. This essay is fol- The third volume is intended as a companion reference ROM with new transcriptions of the surviving primary © The Metropolitan Museum of Art lowed by a thoroughly researched history of the manufactory work. It opens with a chapter by Sebastian Kuhn and Ghenete documents pertaining to the factory, lottery lists, and relevant by Claudia Lehner-Jobst, the associate editor of the project, and Zelleke on the history of collecting Du Paquier, with illustra- transcribed excerpts from the Wienerisches Diarium, the continues to be guarded, coveted, and disseminated both a discussion of its distinctive style and likely chronology by tions that trace the provenances of objects. Next is a highly im- twice-weekly Viennese newspaper of the period. The quality openly and covertly, it is not surprising that the secret process Meredith Chilton. Next comes Ghenete Zelleke’s densely illus- portant scientific analysis of Du Paquier porcelain, along with of the production of the publication was assured by the dedi- of making porcelain, the Arcanum, was closely guarded at trated study of the extensive sources used at Du Paquier; Jo- a comparative analysis of other European hard-paste porce- cated team assembled by ARNOLDSCHE Art Publishers in Meissen, where it was first developed in Europe, or that this hanna Lessmann’s exploration of the complex and intertwined lains, by Anikó Bezur and Francesca Casadio. This landmark Stuttgart, and in particular by Dirk Allgaier, the junior pub- technology was soon divulged by Meissen employees to the new relationship of Du Paquier and Meissen; and Sebastian Kuhn’s study has been written so it is accessible to the non-scientist lisher in charge of the project. Viennese manufactory of Du Paquier. The early histories of unravelling of the challenging subject of independent decora- and is of relevance to all students and lovers of early European We are now so familiar with porcelain that it is difficult to Meissen and Du Paquier are further linked as Meissen bene- tion. The intention of this first volume is to give readers a com- imagine how this material, this “white gold,” was considered fited from the defection from Vienna of Johann Gregorius prehensive introduction to Du Paquier porcelain. Figure 1, Tulip vase from a garniture, c. 1725 to be extraordinary and exciting in early eighteenth-century Höroldt, who would become both a noted colourist at Meissen Hard-paste porcelain; h. 16.5 cm, w. 21.2 cm The second volume enables readers to explore the rich con- Europe. The development of porcelain was a remarkable tech- and the developer of its distinctive decorative style. In her Vienna, Du Paquier manufactory text of Du Paquier porcelain and its world. It begins with a fas- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 54.147.95 nological achievement, requiring the construction of high-tem- chapter on the relationship between Meissen and Du Paquier, cinating account by Claudia Lehner-Jobst of the refined Photography by Joseph Coscia, Jr. perature kilns and experiments with the fusion of materials. Johanna Lessmann reveals not only how Du Paquier was influ- aristocratic life in which Du Paquier played a role, with its ne- © The Metropolitan Museum of Art Given human nature and the way in which new technology enced by Meissen but how, in turn, Meissen used Du Paquier 22 23 Figure 3, Bottle, c. 1730 lapis lazuli, and close examination of surviving examples shows Hard-paste porcelain, silver; h.