KPM – Porcelain and Absolutism
The famous sceptre mark of the Königliche Porzellanmanufaktur Berlin (KPM) is the trademark of the second imperial founding in the German-speaking world. In 1763, King Friedrich II acquired the porcelain manufactory from the insolvent merchant Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky. Having grown up with the extensive porcelain collections of the Hohenzollern palaces, Friedrich had cultivated his passion for porcelain since childhood, and he now had the opportunity to manifest his self-expression in porcelain creations.
Friedrich commissioned over 20 services with many hundreds of individual pieces and magnificent centrepieces solely for his own palaces and his own use. In addition, there were many dozens of diplomatic gifts - all of which always fetch top prices on the art market. As gifts from the Prussian king, KPM products were sent to royal courts throughout Europe. He not only personally supervised the manufactory and production, but also made a significant contribution to the design and unmistakable styling of KPM. The flawless, always uniformly white body and the perfection of form and decoration symbolise the ‘perfect’ state, Prussia.
(...) Continue readingEras and styles
Friedrich Wilhelm II was just as determined as his predecessor, Friedrich II, to promote the growth of KPM. He was particularly interested in porcelain sculptures, of which Johann Gottfried Schadow’s Princess Group from 1796 is just one example. Classical forms, inspired by Greek antiquity, found their way into KPM. The modellers and painters of the manufactory attended courses at the Academy of Arts and thus received an excellent artistic education. Analogue to the French style, a change in taste was also established at the Prussian court according to each new generation, to which KPM responded with new, individual and identifiable models.
Around 1800, KPM began to realise one of the most spectacular decorative creations on porcelain: the painting of micromosaics after Roman patterns. It achieved an impressive level of mastery in this field that was unrivalled by the ‘competing’ companies in Sèvres and Vienna.
After the victory over Napoleon and under the young King Friedrich William III, the heyday of KPM began with the generals' services and the great royal gifts. The magnificent Munich vases are a prime example of this.
The ‘Munich form’ vase was designed by Friedrich Gärtner for the Nymphenburg manufactory in 1822, the year he was appointed artistic director. It was intended as a birthday present for King Max I of Bavaria and was executed in the same year with two stirrup handles at the shoulder and decoration in the style of an antique relief. This vase came to Berlin as a gift from the Munich court on the occasion of the wedding of Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm to the Bavarian Princess Elisabeth Ludovika in 1823. The form was adopted by KPM in 1826 and produced in four different sizes exclusively for the king as a diplomatic or family gift.
The numerous large vases with panoramas and views of buildings document the pride in the flourishing capital. The painters at KPM were able to capture detailed views of cities and entire landscapes on vases by skilfully choosing angles, lines of sight and depth perspectives - with a precision that was unique in Europe at the time.
Soft paste painting: an aesthetic characteristic
From the end of the 19th century, KPM developed soft paste painting as a design characteristic. Flower arrangements were often depicted against a diffuse background, which is why contemporaries spoke of "New Berlin flower painting". Soft paste painting is characterised by a rich colour palette with fine gradations and colour transitions characterises, and was generally executed as interglaze painting, which further favoured the blurred contours.
The findings of the 1878 experimental centre, the ceramics research institute affiliated to KPM, probably played a role in the development of soft painting. The aesthetics of early photography may also have been an inspiration. The artistic director Alexander Kips led the manufactory stylistically into the Neo-Rococo period and promoted soft paste painting against the resistance of the manufactory director.
KPM in the 20th century
Kips' successor, Theo Schmuz-Baudiss, is remembered above all for his colourful underglaze painting and the timeless design of the Ceres service. The famous wedding service by Adolph Amberg, created from 1904 onwards, remains one of the manufactory's most popular designs. Lempertz also always realises top prices for the early designs.
Due to the change in demand, KPM shifted its focus to technical porcelain after the end of the First World War. The few artistic designs were created by Schmuz-Baudiss himself or by an artist employed by the manufactory. After the Second World War, KPM quickly reconnected with international modernism, and designers such as Trude Petri, Siegmund Schütz and Hubert Griemert characterised the image of a progressive contemporary KPM. From 1955, KPM once again functioned as a state-owned enterprise. Excellent quality and renowned designers ensured the economic success and reputation of the company in the following decades. The Rocaille service is still used today at receptions for the Federal President in Bellevue Palace.
Selling porcelain at Lempertz
In recent years, Kunsthaus Lempertz has been able to position itself as the most important trading point for European porcelain. In particular, objects from the 18th century, the early period of European porcelain, can be found regularly in our auctions. The Berlin auctions at Kunsthaus Lempertz primarily feature a large number of historical KPM pieces dating back to the imperial era, as well as post-war modernist examples. Please contact our Decorative Arts department or Kunsthaus Lempertz Berlin for a non-binding valuation.
Königliche Porzellanmanufaktur Berlin KPM - Works that have already been sold at Kunsthaus Lempertz:
