Harlequina

Franz Anton Bustelli

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In the eighteenth century, porcelain figures depicting characters from the Italian commedia dell'arte were extremely popular. The various characters that comprised a typical Italian comedy troupe were instantly recognizable to the audience because of their costumes, and the details of these costumes were faithfully copied in the porcelain figures. The male figure (see 1974.356.525) depicts Harlequin, the principal character of the commedia dell'arte, who always wears a suit composed of brightly colored patches. The female figure, Harlequina, is dressed in a complementary costume. Italian commedia dell'arte figures were produced at all of the major German porcelain factories, but those made at Nymphenburg are among the most accomplished. Around 1760, Franz Anton Bustelli (ca. 1720–1763) modeled sixteen characters from the Italian commedia dell'arte, and these figures justify his reputation as one of the greatest of all eighteenth-century porcelain modelers. The characters are depicted in extremely elegant, slightly exaggerated poses that suggest movements in a dance and yet simultaneously convey some aspect of the character's personality.

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The fifty thousand objects in the Museum's comprehensive and historically important collection of European sculpture and decorative arts reflect the development of a number of art forms in Western European countries from the early fifteenth through the early twentieth century. The holdings include sculpture in many sizes and media, woodwork and furniture, ceramics and glass, metalwork and jewelry, horological and mathematical instruments, and tapestries and textiles. Ceramics made in Asia for export to European markets and sculpture and decorative arts produced in Latin America during this period are also included among these works.

Metropolitan Museum of Art