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Provençal Fife and Drum Player from the Cries de Paris: C.32-1954

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Object information

Current Location: Gallery 26 (Lower Marlay)

Titles

Provençal Fife and Drum Player from the Cries de Paris

Maker(s)

Factory: Meissen Porcelain Factory
Modeller: Reinicke, Peter
Artist: Bouchardon, Edme (After)
Engraver: Caylus, Anne Claude Philippe,

Entities

Categories

Description

Hard-paste porcelain painted in green, yellow, flesh pink, a little red, brown, and black enamels, and gilt.

Hard-paste porcelain, press-moulded, and painted overglaze in green, yellow, flesh pink, a little red, beige, brown, and black enamels, and gilt. The underside of the base is unglazed, and has had the ventilation hole and two firing cracks filled with a brown substance. The low, irregular four-sided base has a tall tree stump at the back and is decorated with applied leaves and a yellow and a red and white rose at the front. The musician stands on his right leg with his left extended in front. In his left hand he holds a large brown pipe to his lips. In his right hand he holds a brown drum-stick with which he plays on a monstrous white drum decorated with pale brown rope trimmings. The base of the drum rests on the tree-stump, and it is supported by a beige strap which hangs over his left arm. The drummer has thick curly grey hair hanging down to his shoulders. He wears a black three-cornered hat with a gold stud on its left side, a white shirt with ruffles at the wrists, a long white coat with gold buttons; pale yellow breeches with gold bands at the knees; white stockings, and black shoes with gold buckles.

Notes

History note: Purchased by the 2nd Lord Fisher on 23 July 1933 from Willy Lissauer, Berlin for £36

Legal notes

Given by Lord and Lady Fisher through the National Art Collections Fund

Measurements and weight

Height: 19.5 cm
Width: 12.2 cm

Place(s) associated

  • Meissen ⪼ Saxony ⪼ Germany
  • Paris ⪼ Saxony ⪼ Germany

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1954-01-14) by Fisher, Lord and Lady

Dating

18th Century, Mid
Production date: circa AD 1747

Note

Anne Claude Philippe Caylus (1692-1765)This figure is one of the first series of Meissen Cries of Paris. It was modelled about 1747 after 'Le Provençal', plate 9 of the fourth set of Études prises dans le bas Peuple ou les Cris de Paris, engraved by the comte de Caylus (1692-1765) after drawings by Edme Bouchardon (1689-1762), published in 1742. The posture of the figure differs from the drawing because it was necessary for it to be supported by the tree stump behind it. The musician's weight is therefore on his right leg with his left extended in front of him, whereas in the drawing the man stands with his weight on both feet.

People, subjects and objects depicted

Components of the work

Decoration composed of enamel ( green, yellow, flesh pink, a little red, brown, black) gold
Base Depth 6.5 cm

Materials used in production

Glaze
Hard-paste porcelain

Techniques used in production

Press-moulding : Hard-paste porcelain, press-moulded in parts, assembled, glazed, painted in enamels, and gilt
Glazing (coating)

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: very small crossed swords
  • Location: On back edge of base
  • Method of creation: Painted underglaze in blue
  • Type: Factory mark
  • Text: F
  • Location: On base
  • Method of creation: Hand-written in black ink
  • Type: Inscription
  • Text: printed in red, the Fisher crest with below 'No.' (o raised) followed by '391' hand-written in black ink
  • Location: On base
  • Method of creation: Printed in red and hand-written in black ink
  • Type: Label

References and bibliographic entries

Related exhibitions

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.32-1954
Primary reference Number: 131044
Old catalogue number: 391
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Wednesday 1 January 2025 Last processed: Saturday 22 March 2025

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Provençal Fife and Drum Player from the Cries de Paris" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/131044 Accessed: 2025-04-15 19:34:43

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/131044 |title=Provençal Fife and Drum Player from the Cries de Paris |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-04-15 19:34:43|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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