Round blue jasper medallion with white relief profile portrait of Moliere 1622 1673 facing left Jean Baptiste Poquelin who took the stage name of Moliere was born in Paris the son of an upholsterer who was also valet de chambre to Louis XIII He studied under the Jesuits at the College de Clermont In 1641 Moliere succeeded his father as the Kings valet but soon abandoned the appointment for the stage joining a company of strolling players For a time he came under the patronage of the Prince de Conti and the Kings brother the duc dOrleans He first played before the King in 1658 In the following year his genius as a comic dramatist asserted itself and the well known comedies began to flow from his pen In 1665 Louis XIV adopted Molieres troupe of players as his own giving its director a pension of a thousand livres His last play was the Malade Imaginaire Moliere was ill when it was played and the exertion produced a haemorrhage from which he died a few hours later

Moliere

Wedgwood

About 1800

See More of the Collection

Dish David Puxley Wedgwood glazed stoneware
View of the Klosterkirche in Berlin
Elongated oval or leaf shaped dark blue jasper medallion with white relief of female holding lamp and foliage set in steel as buckle several cracks
Tall black basalt vase of conical shape with round foot Keith Murray shape number 3882 the upper body incised with a series of engine turned bands extending around the body