Vienna porcelain

Initially it was a private enterprise, founded by Claude du Paquier,[1] an official of the Viennese Imperial court, but in 1744 it was rescued from financial difficulties when bought by the Empress Maria Theresa, and thereafter remained an asset of the emperors.

[2] The wares from the earlier, private period before 1744 are the most sought-after today, if only because production was lower and so the pieces are much more rare.

[3] The other high point, "perhaps the factory's most glamorous period",[4] was from 1784 to 1805 when a variety of innovative wares in broadly Neoclassical styles were produced, then with Sèvres porcelain the main influence.

When Hunger's knowledge was not enough he hired Samuel Stölzel in 1719 leading to the factory's first successful hard-paste porcelain production.

This situation lasted from 1718 to 1744, when the monopoly expired and the financial difficulties apparently came to a head; the empress intervened by buying the factory,[7] which was then renamed as the "Imperial State Manufactory Vienna".

[9] By the last quarter of the 18th century, as many as 120,000 pieces annually were exported to the Ottoman Empire; these were typically brightly coloured, but less finely painted than those for European markets.

[20] The Du Paquier period began the tradition of strong and varied colours, which was to remain a strength of Vienna porcelain.

The style has intricate painted borders or backgrounds of trellis, bandwork, palmettes, garlands, fruit and other very formalized plant motifs.

However, the porcelain here does not cover all the wall space that is not window or mirror, as in other examples, but is a border around the wall-spaces, with matching plaques on the furniture.

[23] Porcelain was used for diplomatic gifts; the Hermitage Museum retains most of a service made in 1735 for Czarina Anna Ivanovna of Russia, which included more than 40 tureens.

[25] Chief modellers included Johann Joseph Niedermeyer, working from 1747 to 1784, and Anton Grassi from 1778 to 1807,[26] who was sent to study classical remains in Rome for several months in 1792.

[28] A new director, Konrad von Sorgenthal, took over during a financial crisis in 1784 and changed the style of wares, following the fashion for Neoclassicism and taking some influence from Sèvres.

Painters at the factory continued to decorate with recreations of Old Masters and original botanical, topographical, and Classical compositions.

[33] Some moulds and undecorated fired "blanks" were bought by other factories, including Herend, and added to the considerable volume of imitations, "replicas" and downright forgeries that have copied Vienna porcelain.

[37] Imperial Privilege: Vienna Porcelain of Du Paquier, 1718–44 was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2009–2010.