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Johann Joachim Kändler, King Vulture

King Vulture

Johann Joachim Kändler · 1734 · Art Institute of Chicago

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A Vulture in PorcelainChapter 1 of 3
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  1. A Vulture in Porcelain

    This is a large bird made entirely of porcelain, standing about 58 centimeters tall, or just under two feet. Porcelain is a fine, hard ceramic, and this kind is called hard-paste. The surface has been painted with colored glassy paints called enamels. The vulture is shown as a whole living creature, not as a decoration on a plate or a cup. Its subjects include feathers and a tree, so look for the bird's body, its layered plumage and the tree form that supports it. It is a surprisingly lifelike thing to see made from something so delicate.

  2. A Royal Porcelain Zoo

    The vulture was modeled in 1734 by Johann Joachim Kändler, a sculptor born in Saxony who worked at the Meissen factory from 1731 to 1775. Meissen began making porcelain in 1710 with royal money and support, and it was a luxury only the very rich could own. Around 1728, Augustus II, elector of Saxony and king of Poland, decided to recreate the animal kingdom in porcelain. The animals were meant for the long gallery of a palace in Dresden. By 1733, when the king died, the factory had made more than thirty birds and almost forty animals. Kändler drew this vulture from life.

  3. Owning the Natural World

    Augustus wanted to collect and rule over the natural world, and these porcelain animals are the clearest sign of that wish. The palace was being turned into a showcase for his collections of Asian and Meissen ceramics, and the animals were meant to be part of that display. Because Kändler studied this vulture from life, the bird seems to carry some of the creature's true spirit. Look at the vulture's whole pose for a little longer, and ask yourself how much alertness and character a sculptor managed to capture in a material that is usually used for teacups.

This guide was written by AI from the description published by Art Institute of Chicago. Licence: CC BY 4.0

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Details

Maker
Meissen Porcelain Manufactory (1710–present), Modeled by Johann Joachim Kändler (born Saxony [now Germany], 1706–1775), Meissen, Electorate of Saxony (now Germany)
Date
1734
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain and polychrome enamels
Dimensions
58 × 43 cm (22 13/16 × 16 15/16 in.)
Place of origin
Germany
Held by
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · On view · Galleries 231-233
Credit line
Harry and Maribel G. Blum and Kate S. Buckingham endowment funds; purchased with funds provided by the Antiquarian Society; Applied Arts of Europe Sales Proceeds, Charles H. and Mary F.S. Worcester and Major Acquisitions Centennial funds; Robert Allerton Trust; Mary and Leigh Block Endowment Fund; Ada Turnbull Hertle Fund; purchased with funds provided by Harry A. Root; Wirt D. Walker Endowment Fund; Gladys N. Anderson Fund; Pauline Seipp Armstrong, Edward E. Ayer in memory of Charles L. Hutchinson, and Kay and Frederick Krehbiel endowment funds; purchased with funds provided by Doris and Stanford Marks; Helen A. Regenstein Endowment Fund; Samuel A. Marx Fund; Laura T. Magnuson, Marian and Samuel Klasstorner, and Maurice D. Galleher endowment funds; Robert Allerton Purchase Fund; Bessie Bennett and Applied Arts of Europe General endowment funds; Edward Johnson and Elizabeth R. Vaughan funds; Annette M. Chapin and Wentworth Greene Field Memorial endowment funds; Campaign for Chicago's Masterpiece Director's Fund; purchased with funds provided by Maureen and Edward Byron Smith Jr.; Samuel P. Avery Endowment Fund; Hugh Leander Adams and Mary Trumbull Adams Fund; purchased with funds provided by G-Bar Charitable Foundation; Betty Bell Spooner Fund; purchased with funds provided by Elizabeth Souder Louis; Irving and Jane Seaman, Charles U. Harris, and S. DeWitt Clough endowment funds; purchased with funds provided by the Woman's Board of the Alliance Française of Chicago; Grant J. Pick Purchase Fund; purchased with funds provided by Ghenete Zelleke
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Image: Art Institute of Chicago, CC0