The plate, decorated en grisaille is decorated with a large medallion depicting Galatea on her chariot, pulled by dolphins and surrounded by Nereids and putti.
The plate, decorated en grisaille is decorated with a large medallion depicting Galatea on her chariot, pulled by dolphins and surrounded by Nereids and putti.
This plate is reproduced by Jorge Getulio Veiga in Chinese Export Porcelain in Private Brazilian Collections, 1989, plate 91.
In Greek mythology, the beautiful Galatea fell in love with the shepherd Acis, remaining deaf to the advances of the cyclops Polyphemus, who, after discovering the two lovers together, killed Acis with a huge rock. The scene of the apotheosis of the nymph (Stanze, I, 118-119) depicts Galatea surrounded by other sea creatures.
The engraved model is usually attributed to Bernard Picard (1673-1733) based on Karl de Klingsted (1657-1734), but it is more likely after the print of Gottfrid Stein (1687-1747), published by Jeremias Wolff (1663-1724). We thank Will Motley for this information.
A new technique of decoration on Chinese Export Porcelain emerged during the 1720s, characterized by the introduction of a new glazing technique: the grisaille decoration, also known as “encre de Chine”. This technique allowed for the creation of very fine black-and-white decorations, thus faithfully reproducing engravings on porcelain. It became one of the preferred methods for creating European decorations during the second quarter of the 18th century.
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