Sophie von der Goltz
Head of Sale
This auction has ended. View lot details
You may also be interested in
Lot 73
Deux figures en porcelaine de Meissen formant pendants représentant un dandy et une femme, vers 1919-1923
A pair of Meissen figure of a dandy (Geck) and a lady (Biedermeierdame), circa 1919-1923
A pair of Meissen figure of a dandy (Geck) and a lady (Biedermeierdame), circa 1919-1923
29 October 2025, 14:00 CET
Paris, Avenue Hoche€2,500 - €3,500
Looking for a similar item?
Our European Ceramics specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.
Find your local specialistAsk about this lot
Sebastian Kuhn
Department Director
Nette Megens
Head of Department, Director
Raphael Machiels
Associate Specialist
Laura Toledo
Sale Coordinator
Deux figures en porcelaine de Meissen formant pendants représentant un dandy et une femme, vers 1919-1923
A pair of Meissen figure of a dandy (Geck) and a lady (Biedermeierdame), circa 1919-1923
A pair of Meissen figure of a dandy (Geck) and a lady (Biedermeierdame), circa 1919-1923
Modelled by Paul Scheurich, the dandy wearing a suit in the style of the 1830s of a pale purple jacket, black bow tie and white trousers, holding a book in his right hand, his left arm on his hip, leaning on a pedestal moulded with a medallion of a putto and trailing ivy, applied with a flower and leaves, on an oval base, the reverse incised "Scheurich"; the lady wearing a dress in the style of the 1830s edged in blue, leaning on a pedestal with her hands crossed, a rose and an evening bag in her hands, on an oval base applied with a flower and leaves at the base of the pedestal, He: 20.5cm high; She: 25cm high, crossed swords mark in underglaze-blue to base of both, incised model number F241/F235 and former number 124 (2)
Footnotes
Scheurich's background as a graphic artist is unmistakably reflected in the meticulous detail he applied to both the dandy and the Biedermeier lady — each one a drawing brought to life in porcelain (Johannes Rafael, Paul Scheurich 1883-1945 Porzellane für die Meissener Manufaktur, Meissener Manuskripte, Sonderband VIII, 1995, p. 34). The dandy figure is directly inspired by Scheurich's 1912 illustrations for an edition of Jean Paul's Doktor Katzenbergers Badreise, where all male characters are dressed in Biedermeier attire. Notably, the vain playwright Theudobach appears to have served as the primary model for the dandy (Rafael, ill. 7/8.2). Scheurich would go on to depict both characters in later illustrations, for instance the dandy in Italien von Heinrich Heine, published in 1919, and the lady in the porcelain group titled Geschwister, though she appears there in a different costume.
Scheurich first presented the dandy model to the Meissen manufactory in November 1916. However, it wasn't until three years later that the figure was finally realized in porcelain. At the manufactory's request for a companion piece, something Scheurich had not initially envisioned, he modified the original plaster model of the dandy and created the lady figure to accompany it. Meissen acquired this new model in October 1917, with both figures costing RM 3,000. Production was delayed due to the ongoing war and Scheurich's illness in late 1917 and early 1918. As a result, his designs for the figures' colouring were not submitted until August 1918. The first painted porcelain versions were finally completed in May 1919.
Additional information
Bid now on these items
