Medallion
Medium
Hard-paste biscuit
Dimensions
Height: 5 3/4 in. (14.6 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
French, Sèvres
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of George D. Pratt, 1935
Accession Number
45.174.44
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate medallion, crafted around 1785 by the renowned Sèvres Manuf and modeled by Jacques-Auguste Col, exemplifies the height of French porcelain artistry during the late Louis XVI period. Standing just 5¾ inches tall, it features a finely sculpted profile of a man, rendered in hard-paste biscuit—a matte, unglazed porcelain that mimics the soft glow of marble or Parian ware. Sèvres, the royal factory near Versailles, was celebrated for such innovations, blending technical precision with neoclassical elegance inspired by ancient Roman cameos and portraits. The biscuit technique, perfect...
About the Artist
Sèvres Manufactory|Jacques-Auguste Collet · 1740–present
The Sèvres Manufactory, one of Europe's premier porcelain producers, was established in 1740 as the Manufacture de Vincennes under the patronage of Queen Marie Leszczyńska, who sought to rival Meissen and Chantilly porcelains with French soft-paste innovations. Initially a private venture, it relocated to Sèvres in 1756 in a purpose-built facility designed by architect Laurent Lindet near Madame d...