For some time now, the Russian Imperial Porcelain Factory (St. Petersburg) has decided to resume the release of some porcelain figurines of its masters of the past. The history of the plant, which began in 1744, boasts a large number of works of excellent quality and fine taste, reflecting the artistic tendencies of their eras. Of course, the enterprise stores in its archives model forms, sketches of drawings of decor, a description of the technology of their creation, etc., which allows to perform copying quite accurately. But also modern technologies do not stand still: new compositions of porcelain masses, materials for production of model forms have been discovered, modern high-tech pigments and paints for high-temperature porcelain have been obtained. We decided to compare the originals created by Russian masters 100 or more years ago, and their modern replicas. Fortunately, many porcelain figurines of the Imperial Factory are in the collection of the State Hermitage and are open to the general public. So, see for yourself:

Figurine “Lady with a mask”

Porcelain figurine Lady with a mask, original and replica

1, 2 – Both of two figurines from the collection of the State Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia. They were created in 1906. The author of the model and the painting: Somov Konstantin Andreevich (1869-1939).

3 – A modern replica of the “Lady with a Mask”, made at the same Imperial Porcelain manuactory by the author’s model.

Porcelain figurine “Lady with a mask” is one of the best works created at the Imperial Porcelain Factory by the famous Russian artist of the “World of Art” association KA. Somov. A great connoisseur and collector of European and Russian porcelain, the artist began to work in new material in 1905. For two years he performed three sculptures: “Lovers”, “Lady with a mask”, “On a stone.” Heroes of porcelain plastics Somov are gallant characters in his paintings. Author’s samples left to the plant for copying, represented contemporary art at the exhibition “Two Centuries of Russian Painting and Sculpture” in Paris, arranged by S.P. Diaghilev in 1906

Figurine “Anna Akhmatova”

Porcelain figurine Anna Akhmatova, original and replica

1 – The statuette is from the collection of the State Hermitage. It was created in the USSR in 1924. The author of the model: Danko Natalia Yakovlevna (1892-1942); The author of the painting: Danko Elena Yakovlevna (1898-1942).

2 – Modern recreated statuette “Anna Akhmatova” of the Imperial Porcelain manuactory according to the model of N. Danko.

Natalia Danko is known for her sculptures depicting the bright heroes of the Russian revolution and the scene from the daily life of Petrograd. In addition to this direction, she was engaged in creating portraits of her contemporaries. Being a magnificent sculptor, Danko possessed a special talent to grasp the image, the idea in the surrounding reality and transfer it to porcelain. She repeatedly visited the cult cafe in St. Petersburg “Stray Dog”, where frequent guests were representatives of St. Petersburg Bohemia. Among her friends, whom she embodied in porcelain sculptures, were artists, dancers, poets … One of the best in this series is rightly considered the portrait of the poetess Anna Andreevna Akhmatova – one of the most significant figures of Russian literature of the XX century.

Figurine “Fortune-teller”

Porcelain figurine Fortune-teller, original and replica

1 – The figurine is in the collection of the State Hermitage. It was created in the USSR in 1922. The author of the model: Danko, Natalia Yakovlevna (1892-1942); The author of the painting: Bryantseva, Maria Alexandrovna. (1885-1942).

2 – A replica of the statuette “Fortune-teller” of the Imperial Porcelain manuactory according to the model of N. Danko.

The famous sculptor N.Ya. Danko is considered the founder of Soviet porcelain plastics. From 1919 to 1941 she headed the sculpture workshop of the State Porcelain Factory. She created more than 300 works that formed a kind of porcelain chronicle of the first decades of the diverse life of post-revolutionary Russia. “Fortune-teller” – one of the genre scenes of the colorful life of the city streets of post-revolutionary Petrograd, seen by the author and talented embodied in porcelain. The work is executed in a realistic manner with careful study of details, with fine modeling and drawing of clothes. Delicate painting harmoniously combines with the shape and revitalizes the sculpture, giving it special decorative.

Figurine “Girl – water-carrier”

Porcelain figurine Girl – water-carrier, original and replica

1 – Figurine is from the collection of the State Hermitage. It was created in 1817-1820. The author of the model: Pimenov Stepan Stepanovich (1784-1833)

2 – The reconstructed statuette of the “Girl – water-carrier” of the Imperial Porcelain manufactory by the model of S. Pimenov.

In the porcelain plastic of the first third of the XIX century. have further developed the principles of classicism. At the Imperial Porcelain Factory at this time there were the same “Girl – water-carrier”, “Boy – water-carrier”, “The Girl with a broken pitcher”, close in interpretation to the figurative grounds of the vases of the Guryevsky Service. The sculpture “The Water-carrier”, conceived as a written device, depicts a girl in a national Russian costume, in a kokoshnik, with a yoke on her shoulders. Buckets with covers have a functional significance – they serve as an inkwell and sandbox. The author of the sculpture is the head of the sculpture workshop of the St. Petersburg production of S.S. Pimenov, whose romantic porcelain images are close to the peasant heroes of the paintings of the famous russian artist A.G. Venetsianov.

Figurine “Girl with a yoke”

Porcelain figurine. Girl with a yoke, original and replica

1 – The figurine is from the collection of the State Hermitage, was created in Soviet Russia in 1923. The figure is made according to the model of S. Pimenov, the headpiece of the girl and the bending of the hands are slightly changed.

2 – Reconstructed statuette “Girl with a yoke”  of the Imperial porcelain factory according to the model of 1923.

The figure “Girls with a yoke” is very similar to the previous one. For the basis of the statuette is taken the famous sculpture of Pimenov SS, the headpiece of the girl is slightly changed, the arms bending holding the rocker. The costume on the 1923 statuette (1) was made in the fashionable at that time fantasy style of the famous Russian seasons of Sergei Diaghilev, on modern (2) – in a restrained spirit of folk traditions with gold trim.

Figurine “Girl with a broken pitcher”

Porcelain figurine Girl with a broken pitcher, original and replica

1 – The statuette is in the collection of the State Hermitage. Created in the first quarter of the XIX century Model Author: Pimenov Stepan Stepanovich (1784-1833)

2 – A modern statuette “A girl with a broken pitcher” of the Imperial Porcelain manuactory by the model of S.Pimenov.

Sculptural group “Lovers”

Фарфоровая скульптурная группа Влюбленные, оригинал и копия

1 – Sculpture from the collection of the State Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia. They were created in 1905. The author of the model and the painting: Somov Konstantin Andreevich (1869-1939).

2 – Reconstructed sculpture group “Lovers”  , executed at the same Imperial Porcelain Factory by the author’s model.

“Lovers” – this is one of three works, made in porcelain by the Russian artist of the association “World of Art” K.A. Somov

In our store there are porcelain figurines from this collection of museum replicas.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *