The Mouse Catchers
Medium
Soft-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Height: 5 7/8 in. (14.9 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
Italian, Naples
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Douglas Dillon, 1983
Accession Number
1983.488.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
Created around 1745–50 at the renowned Capodimonte Porcelain Manufactory in Naples, *The Mouse Catchers* exemplifies the playful spirit of mid-eighteenth-century Italian decorative arts. Founded in 1743 by King Charles of Bourbon, the factory quickly became celebrated for its soft-paste porcelain figures, which captured lively genre scenes with remarkable delicacy. Chief modeler Giuseppe Gricci brought sculptural skill to these small-scale works, transforming everyday subjects into elegant tabletop ornaments suited for aristocratic interiors. Standing just under six inches tall, the group por...
About the Artist
Giuseppe Gricci|Capodimonte Porcelain Manufactory (Italian|Italian) · 1695 |1740 –1775 |1759
Italian, ca. 1700–1770|Italian, 1740/43–1759