Die Leiden des jungen Werther; The Sorrows of Young Werther1

Die Leiden des jungen Werther; The Sorrows of Young Werther

Object:

Tray

Place of origin:

Meissen (made)

Date:

ca. 1790 (made)

Artist/Maker:

Meissen porcelain factory (maker)

Schubert, Johann David (probably, decorator)

Materials and Techniques:

Hard paste porcelain painted in enamel colours and gilt

Museum number: Physical description

An oval tray with moulded border, part of a breakfast service. Decorated with scenes in round or oval medallions from Die Leiden des jungen Werther [The Sorrows of Young Werther], a novel written in 1774 by Johann Wolfgang Goethe (1749-1832).

Place of Origin

Meissen (made)

Date

ca. 1790 (made)

Artist/maker

Meissen porcelain factory (maker)

Schubert, Johann David (probably, decorator)

Materials and Techniques

Hard paste porcelain painted in enamel colours and gilt

Marks and inscriptions

Crossed swords with a star Factory mark, in blue

'42' and a large '3' Impressed

'4' and 'BI' In blue

'12 and '13' In enamel

Dimensions

Length: 37 cm

Object history note

Part of a tea and coffee service (1328 to L-1871).

Historical context note

Goethe's novel, The Sorrows of Young Werther became a bestseller soon after its publication. The story parallels elements of Goethe's own experience. Werther falls in love with Lotte, a 19 year old who has already been engaged for four years to Albert, a man 11 years her senior. After failing to distance himself from Lotte and his futile love for her, Werther finally chooses suicide as his only release from his torment.

Descriptive line

Tray from a breakfast service, porcelain painted in enamel colours with scenes from Goethe's Sorrows of Young Werther, and gilt; probably painted by Johann David Schubert, made by Meissen porcelain factory, Germany, ca. 1790

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

Müller-Scherf, Angelika. Wertherporzellan Petersberg : Michale Imhof Verlag GmbH & Co., 2009 ISBN 9783865684592

Materials

Hard paste porcelain

Techniques

Painting (image-making); Gilding

Subjects depicted

Goethe, Johann Wolfgang. Die Leiden des jungen Werther [The Sorrows of Young Werther], 1774.