Description
Featuring Two Females In Period Dress
From our Ceramics collection, we are delighted to offer two KPM Porcelain Plaques by Franz Wagner sold as a pair. The KPM Porcelain Plaques fitted within their original gilt wood frames with scrolling borders both signed to the base of the frame F. Wagner each featuring a portrait of a female, the first plaque is a portrait of Charlotte, Lady Milnes after the British 18th century painter George Romney currently held in the Frick Collection, Manhattan, New York. The second plaque features the lute player after German 19th century historical portrait painter Friedrich August von Kaulbach. The Lady Milnes plaque is visibly signed to the lower right corner “Wagner” which is partially hidden by the frame, the second frame does not have a visible signature and is possibly hidden within the frame or very faint. Each of the plaques bear original provenance to the rear and are held within their original frames stating they were purchased in 1959 at £75 for the pair and were owned in a collection in Jersey along with collection numbers. Both plaques are firmly attributed to KPM and are well known plaques by the company under Wagners hand, we have not removed the original framing to confirm the mark and therefore are attributing them only. The KPM Porcelain Plaques date to the second half of the 19th century Circa 1890.
KPM (Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur – The Royal Porcelain Factory) in Berlin was founded in 1763 Frederick the Great (King Frederick II). Its actual origins, however, lie in three private enterprises which, under crown patronage, were trying to establish the production of “white gold” (porcelain) in Berlin from the mid-18th century onwards.The company logo is a sceptre, which is stamped (painted prior to 1837) or incised on every piece. All painted pieces produced by KPM are also signed by the painter. KPM is still producing porcelain today.
Franz Wagner was from a famous family of painters working from Starhemberggasse in Vienna, Austria in the late nineteenth century. F. Wagner became known for his exceptional quality reproductions of historic old masters on porcelain for Vienna and KPM (Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur). There is little information regarding his career but he was a known painter for Vienna and KPM active in the late 19th century to the early 20th century.
George Romney (1734-1802) was born in Beckside, Dalton-in-Furness, Lancashire (now part of Cumbria), to John Romney a cabinet maker and Anne Simpson. Raised in a cottage named High Cocken in modern-day Barrow-in-Furness, he was sent to school at nearby Dendron until he was withdrawn at the age of 11 to apprentice under his father’s business. He proved to have a natural ability for drawing and making things from wood including violins (which he played throughout his life). From the age of 15 Romney was informally taught art by a local watchmaker called John Williamson. His official studies began in earnest in 1755, when he went to Kendal, at the age of 21, for a 4-year apprenticeship with local artist Christopher Steele, who had himself studied with distinguished French artist Carlo Vanloo. In October 1756, Romney married Mary Abbot, but the couple were immediately separated when he was called away to York on business by his employer Steele. After a year, Steele eventually agreed to cancel the apprenticeship, at George’s request which left the young artist free to pursue his own career as a painter.
Friedrich August von Kaulbach was born to a well known family of artists initially he began studies with his father, Friedrich Kaulbach before attending the Academy of Fine Arts in Nuremberg, Germany. Friedrich studied with August von Kreling and Karl Raupp at the academy before transferring to the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich in 1871 working with Wilhelm von Diez. In 1883, he became a teacher there himself. Along with Franz von Lenbach and Franz von Stuck, Friedrich was known as one of the “Malerfürsten” (painter princes) becoming one of the highest paid portrait painters in Germany undertaking commissions from the high fliers in society at the time from both Germany and America. In 1886, Friedrich was appointed Director of the Munich Academy and was ennobled. In 1897, he married Frida Scotta, a famous Danish violist and one of their daughters Hedda married the sculptor, Toni Stadler. Their second daughter Mathilde, who was a singer, married the painter Max Beckmann. In 1893, he built the Kaulbach-Villa in Ohlstadt, Bavaria, Germany which served as a second summer residence. Since 1997, it has been a museum, showing thirty of his paintings and a number of drawings which his studio maintained in its original state.
Measurements Lady Milnes Frame, 38 cm High x 30 cm Wide – Plaque approx. 23 cm High x 15 cm Wide | Flute Player Frame 39cm High x 29cm Wide – Plaque approx. 24cm High x 14cm Wide ( Lady Milnes 15 x 11.8 | Flue Player 15.3 x 11.4 Inches)
Condition Very Good, plaques in very good condition, frames have some small wear and minor losses to the scrollwork but are original and untouched.
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