A rare and early Meissen white figure of Augustus the Strong as Imperator, circa 1715

Footnotes

Provenance
With E & H Manners, 2014

Literature
White, Mary, People at the Whites' House, Vol.5, 2024, p.259

This and another figure depicting Augustus the Strong in Roman armour were likely conceived of as part of a chess set ordered by the Elector. They are first mentioned in a letter from Johann Friedrich Böttger of 9th September 1713, in which he refers to two 'Königs-Bilder oder kleine Statuen, als in Romanischer und Teütscher Kleidung...' [portraits of the king or small statues, in Roman and German costume] for one of two chess sets, one in porcelain and the second in 'LandEdelsteinen' [precious stones] (quoted by Johann Melchior Steinbrück, Bericht über die Porzellanmanufaktur Meißen von den Anfängen bis zum Jahre 1717, ch. 10). No other chess figures of this type are recorded, however, and it seems likely that only the two figures of the elector/king were subsequently produced, probably for use by the court as gifts. The 1719 inventories of the Dresden and Leipzig warehouses list 6 and 24 white 'königl. Statuen, respectively, as well as a number in production in the manufactory itself (C. Boltz, Steinzeug und Porzellan der Böttgerperiode, in Keramos, 167/168, 2000, p. 66). The inventory of the Japanese Palace in Dresden begun in 1721 includes six such white figures: '6 Stk. kleine Statuen so Ihro Königl. Mayst. auf viereckigten Postament in Römer Habit und Talard vorstellen, nebst einem Lorbeer-Cranz auff dem Kopff und einen Marschalls-Staab in der rechten. 4½. Z. hoch.' [6 small statues depicting His Royal Majesty on a square base in Roman habit and gown, along with a laurel wreath in his head and a marshall's staff in the right hand] (quoted in Böttgersteinzeug Böttgerporzellan aus der Dredener Porzellansammlung, 1969, p.46).

Other examples of this figure survive in the Dresden Porcelain Collection (inv. no.PE 3797) and the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne (inv. no.D143-1975). An example of the other model of Augustus as Imperator with Funcke decoration was sold in these rooms, 22 July 2020, lot 18.

This model was first attributed to the Dresden sculptor Johann Joachim Kretzschmar on stylistic grounds by Siegfried Asche (Die Dresdner Bildhauer des frühen achtzehnten Jahrhunderts als Meister des Böttgersteinzeugs und Böttgerporzellans, in Keramos, 49, 1970, pp.82-89). The author compares the drapery and sculptural presence of the small figure to the larger garden statuary, especially to that of the lyrical Apollo in the Schlosspark in Hermsdorf, and the figures created by Kretzschmar for the Kronentor of the Zwinger in Dresden. Kretzschmar was a student of Balthasar Permoser in Dresden, who - in 1712 - secured him a position at the Dresden Court to complete the large amount of sculpture required for the newly-designed Zwinger in Dresden. From 1728 until his death he worked as court-sculptor but was largely overlooked in the canon of Dresden sculptors until his rehabilitation thanks to the research by Siegfried Asche in the 1960s.

Important Notice to Buyers
Condition is not specified in the lot cataloguing. Please request a condition report.