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This week: Rococo at the Wadsworth. For previous posts on the Wadsworth, click here.

Giuseppe Nogari, Self-Portrait

Nogari (1699-1766), a native of Venice, painted works in the Rococo style in Venice and Turin. Artists’ self-portraits like this one are the ultimate selfie, because unlike photographers, artists start from scratch, including or omitting details at will. Self-portraits show us what the artists consider most important about themselves, by their posture, by their expression, by their actions, by the way they dress, and by the setting in which they choose to show themselves. Contrast this self-portrait with some of the dozens of self-portraits by Rembrandt.

Bernhard Heinrich Weyhe, Centerpiece, 1758-1759

This very large, very elaborate silver centerpiece includes musicians representing the four continents (America, Asia, Europe, Africa) beneath a fantastically wrought pergola. The set includes four serving containers, two condiment dishes, a shaker, and cruet.

During the mid-eighteenth century, Augsburg was Europe’s foremost silver- and gold-smithing city, and Weyhe (1702-1782) was the foremost among Augsburg’s artists. His work is distinguished by a complex interplay of light and dark, smooth and complex textures. If you like restful compositions, Weyhe is not the guy for you.

For more by Weyhe, see this tureen at the Metropolitan Museum.

Boucher / Vincennes Porcelain Factory, ca. 1752

I usually focus on paintings and sculpture rather than decorative arts, so I’ve never paid much attention to porcelain figurines. But after looking at German porcelain in the Rococo period (Meissen porcelain) last week, and then that huge silver centerpiece by Weyhe, and then the French porcelain figurines below, I’ve discovered I do have a preference. Have a look, and then I’ll tell you which I prefer and why.

I prefer the French porcelain – at least these particular pieces. Why? Because the figures are more stylized and simplified. By that I mean: there’s no added color, and the outlines and the surface textures tend to be less complex. They’re still more complex than a full-size sculpture would usually be, but they strike me as less fussy than the Meissen porcelain figurines.

These three groups were based on sketches by Francois Boucher, one of the most notable French artists of the Rococo period. He often painted large works on commission for Madame de Pompadour, the mistress of Louis XV. But Boucher also produced designs for decorative arts such as porcelain and tapestries. And – more relevant to these pieces – Boucher designed sets and costumes for the theater. Among his productions was the ballet-pantomime The Vintages of Tempe by Boucher’s friend Charles Simon Favart. It premiered in 1745, toured the provinces, and was revived in Paris by the Théâtre Italien in 1752. These porcelain figurines were based on Boucher’s sketches for the 1752 production. (See here and here.)

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