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Oceanos and Tethys – the god of the sea and his wife

Big theatre figures by Franz Conrad Linck (1730 – 1793), Frankenthal rd. 1765
Oceanos: 28 cm high; under glaze blue mark ‘CT’ with crown and two points
Scratch mark ‘f No2’ (the same as the Oceanos in the Reiss Engelhorn Museum Mannheim)
Tethys: 26,5 cm high; under glaze blue mark ‘CT’ with crown and two points

Provenance: Collection Heinrich Peter, Heidelberg

Description


The presented pair of Oceanos and Tethys is a so-called ‘born’ couple. Proportions and colours are perfectly harmonized.

Oceanos and Tethys rank not only among the major works of the court sculptor (of Electoral Palatinate) Franz Conrad Linck, the pair is also one of the highlights of the European porcelain sculpture (Beaucamp-Markowsky: ‘Frankenthaler Porzellan. Die Plastik.’ München 2008, p. 400) and of the running out rococo period. Dr. Erika Pauls-Eisenbeiss – the great collector and connoisseur – writes in her catalogue (‘German Porcelain of the 18th Century.’ Volume II. Fribourg 1972, p. 192): ‘possibly the most brilliant products of the baroque version of the antique’.

Oceanos and his wife Tethys – the gods of sea in the ancient mythology  
Linck expressed the majestic attitude of the god and the noble impression of the goddess in a theatrical manner. He was inspired by a costume design by Louis-René Boquet (dated 1760), who made it for a ballet performance. Alain Charles Gruber published the costume design at first in ‘Keramik-Freunde der Schweiz’, 1971 (Issue 82, p. 24). Boquet made also a costume design of Tethys, as Beaucamp-Markowsky had called attention to (p. 404; it is published in the exhibition catalogue Fontainebleau 2005, p. 109, no. 61). One question that remains unanswered is how Boquet’s design came to the Palatine court. It is known that Boquet’s works were very popular. The name of the ‘Dessinateur en chef des habits’, who worked for Ludwig XV., was well known far beyond the French borders. Copies of his works were much sought after (Beaucamp-Markowsky p. 400) and they were sold to European courts.

Franz Conrad Linck – who is on an equal footing with Kaendler and Bustelli – was master sculptor at the Frankenthal porcelain manufactory from 1762 to 1766. Furthermore he created numerous large sculptures and monumental statues on behalf of the Elector Carl Theodor.

 

Literature


Pauls-Eisenbeiss, Erika: German Porcelain of the 18th Century, The Pauls-Eisenbeiss Collection. London 1972

Beaucamp-Markowsky, Barbara: Frankenthaler Porzellan. Band I. Die Plastik.. München 2008

Gruber, Alain Charles: Le modèle inconnu d’une figurine de Frankenthal. In: Keramik-Freunde der Schweiz. Nr. 82, 1971

Werhahn, Maria Christiane: Der kurpfälzische Hofbildhauer Franz Conrad Linck. Mannheim 1999

Picture-gallery


Okeanos und Tethys, Gott des Meeres und seine Gemahlin
Okeanos und Tethys, Gott des Meeres und seine Gemahlin
Okeanos und Tethys, Gott des Meeres und seine Gemahlin
Okeanos und Tethys, Gott des Meeres und seine Gemahlin
Okeanos und Tethys, Gott des Meeres und seine Gemahlin
Okeanos und Tethys, Gott des Meeres und seine Gemahlin
  • Description

    The presented pair of Oceanos and Tethys is a so-called ‘born’ couple. Proportions and colours are perfectly harmonized.

    Oceanos and Tethys rank not only among the major works of the court sculptor (of Electoral Palatinate) Franz Conrad Linck, the pair is also one of the highlights of the European porcelain sculpture (Beaucamp-Markowsky: ‘Frankenthaler Porzellan. Die Plastik.’ München 2008, p. 400) and of the running out rococo period. Dr. Erika Pauls-Eisenbeiss – the great collector and connoisseur – writes in her catalogue (‘German Porcelain of the 18th Century.’ Volume II. Fribourg 1972, p. 192): ‘possibly the most brilliant products of the baroque version of the antique’.

    Oceanos and his wife Tethys – the gods of sea in the ancient mythology  
    Linck expressed the majestic attitude of the god and the noble impression of the goddess in a theatrical manner. He was inspired by a costume design by Louis-René Boquet (dated 1760), who made it for a ballet performance. Alain Charles Gruber published the costume design at first in ‘Keramik-Freunde der Schweiz’, 1971 (Issue 82, p. 24). Boquet made also a costume design of Tethys, as Beaucamp-Markowsky had called attention to (p. 404; it is published in the exhibition catalogue Fontainebleau 2005, p. 109, no. 61). One question that remains unanswered is how Boquet’s design came to the Palatine court. It is known that Boquet’s works were very popular. The name of the ‘Dessinateur en chef des habits’, who worked for Ludwig XV., was well known far beyond the French borders. Copies of his works were much sought after (Beaucamp-Markowsky p. 400) and they were sold to European courts.

    Franz Conrad Linck – who is on an equal footing with Kaendler and Bustelli – was master sculptor at the Frankenthal porcelain manufactory from 1762 to 1766. Furthermore he created numerous large sculptures and monumental statues on behalf of the Elector Carl Theodor.

     

  • Literature

    Pauls-Eisenbeiss, Erika: German Porcelain of the 18th Century, The Pauls-Eisenbeiss Collection. London 1972

    Beaucamp-Markowsky, Barbara: Frankenthaler Porzellan. Band I. Die Plastik.. München 2008

    Gruber, Alain Charles: Le modèle inconnu d’une figurine de Frankenthal. In: Keramik-Freunde der Schweiz. Nr. 82, 1971

    Werhahn, Maria Christiane: Der kurpfälzische Hofbildhauer Franz Conrad Linck. Mannheim 1999

  • Picture-gallery
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