Curated by: Anne Forschler-Tarrasch, PhD, Chief Curator and The Marguerite Jones Harbert and John M. Harbert III Curator of Decorative Arts
Meissen’s Commedia dell’Arte Figures
In the 18th century in Europe, roving theatrical groups traveled from town to town providing entertainment for commoners and royalty alike. One of these groups, the Commedia dell’Arte, was immortalized in porcelain by the Meissen manufactory in Germany.
The Commedia dell’Arte
The Commedia dell’Arte was an improvised theater that developed in Italy in the mid-16th century. Performed all over Europe by itinerant actors, skits were spontaneous and often unrehearsed, and could include biting political satire, slapstick humor, and naughty inside jokes. Each actor took on the role of a particular character of the Commedia, identified by costume, mask, attitude and accent. While these roles became standardized over time, the possibilities for live dramatic action and comedy were endless. For this reason, the Commedia dell’Arte delighted audiences for more than 200 years.
Harlequin and Columbine Dancing
Harlequin is one of the main characters of the Commedia dell’Arte. He is a childish man, a servant full of awkwardness and ignorance, but also wit and agility. His distinctive costume is made of multi-colored patches symbolizing his poverty. Today this costume is instantly recognizable as that of a court jester or fool. His companion Columbine is a female servant and tireless flirt. She often carried messages between Commedia characters, occasionally wearing a disguise to carry out her missions. Witty and wily, she wears the simple costume of a working woman.
Image Credit:
Harlequin and Columbine Dancing, about 1744. Modeled by Johann Joachim Kaendler, Royal Porcelain Manufactory, Meissen. Hard-paste porcelain with enamel decoration and gilding. The Eugenia Woodward Hitt Collection 1991.313
Greeting Harlequin
Everyday gestures, poses and expressions were a way for actors to communicate with Commedia audiences. Bowing deeply, hat in hand, like Harlequin here, was usually a sign of courtesy and respect, a way to make a compliment. Because spoken languages weren’t always understood as theatrical troupes traveled from place to place, gestures, poses and expressions served as a way to communicate the plot and tone of the performance.
Image Credit:
Greeting Harlequin, 1739-1740. Modeled by Johann Joachim Kaendler, Royal Porcelain Manufactory, Meissen. Hard-paste porcelain with enamel decoration and gilding. The Eugenia Woodward Hitt Collection 1991.308
Pantalone
The character Pantalone is an old, lustful and vain Venetian merchant. One of his main roles is to find a rich mate for his deceitful daughter and this often gets him into trouble. He is frequently the source of ridicule and often the butt of jokes in Commedia performances.
Image Credit:
Pantalone, about 1736. Modeled by Johann Joachim Kaendler, Royal Porcelain Manufactory, Meissen. Hard-paste porcelain with enamel decoration and gilding. The Eugenia Woodward Hitt Collection 1991.320
Pulchinella
Pulchinella was a hunchbacked valet with a bad temper and deceitful personality. While pleasant on the surface, he’d prefer to use his club rather than talk things out. Lazy and stupid and interested only in himself, in English we’ve come to know him as Punch. The Commedia dell’Arte provided the roots for modern-day Punch and Judy shows.
Image Credit:
Pulchinella, about 1748. Modeled by Johann Joachim Kaendler, Royal Porcelain Manufactory, Meissen. Hard-paste porcelain with enamel decoration and gilding. The Eugenia Woodward Hitt Collection 1991.322
Johann Joachim Kaendler (1706-1775)
Kaendler was a German sculptor who spent more than forty years at the Meissen porcelain manufactory outside of Dresden. Classically trained and adept with his hands, Kaendler eventually became master modeler at Meissen, supervising mold production and quality control. During the 1730s, he began to create small figures in porcelain that reflected life in Dresden’s royal court and surrounding villages. Among these were the figures of the classic Commedia dell’Arte characters. These small-scale sculptures were at first used to decorate the dessert table and were often placed on mirrored surfaces among architectural elements and foliage formed of sugar. Here they stirred conversation and reminded diners of the troupe’s silly and outrageous antics.
Harlequin with a Pince-Nez
This jolly Harlequin has a snuffbox at his waist. He also holds spectacles to his face with his right hand. Looking more closely, we also see that his tongue is sticking out. These attributes indicate that Harlequin is mocking both education and overinflated self-importance (spectacles) as well as a refined lifestyle (snuffbox). The mocking of its audience was a common theme of the Commedia dell’Arte, which often performed in front of wealthy and cultured people.
Image Credit:
Harlequin with a Pince-Nez, about 1740-1746. Modeled by Johann Joachim Kaendler, Royal Porcelain Manufactory, Meissen. Hard-paste porcelain with enamel decoration and gilding. The Eugenia Woodward Hitt Collection 1991.315
The Indiscreet Harlequin
One of the few figures believed to have originated from a live performance, the figure of Harlequin is completely in his element as he tries to look up the woman’s skirt. She herself is occupied with other pursuits as she engages with a male lover. This model was considered scandalous during the 18th century. The sight of a woman’s ankle, let alone her entire calf, was a most erotic pleasure during the period. Harlequin sticks his tongue out in mockery, a rude gesture.
Image Credit:
The Indiscreet Harlequin, about 1742. Modeled by Johann Joachim Kaendler, Royal Porcelain Manufactory, Meissen. Hard-paste porcelain with enamel decoration and gilding. The Eugenia Woodward Hitt Collection 1991.334
Pantalone with an Actress
Kaendler created many porcelain groups where characters interact with one another. Many of these include an actress, or fashionable lady. Here, an actress is shown with the character Pantalone. As he leans in to get close to her, she appears to be teasing him – remember he’s an object of ridicule – as she hides a mask behind her back, a sign of her insincerity.
Image Credit:
Pantalone with an Actress, about 1738. Modeled by Johann Joachim Kaendler, Royal Porcelain Manufactory, Meissen. Hard-paste porcelain with enamel decoration and gilding, with gilt bronze mount. The Eugenia Woodward Hitt Collection 1991.318
Fighting Harlequins
Humor involving exaggerated movement was important in the Commedia dell’Arte. An important stage prop for Harlequin was the slapstick, a club-like object made either of leather or wood. When slapped in the air or against another actor, it made a loud and funny slapping noise. Comical beatings were often found in Commedia performances. They remain an important part of 20th-century slapstick comedies, too.
Image Credit:
Fighting Harlequins, about 1736-1738. Modeled by Johann Joachim Kaendler, Royal Porcelain Manufactory, Meissen. Hard-paste porcelain with enamel decoration and gilding. The Eugenia Woodward Hitt Collection 1991.310
The Dottore
The Dottore was a professional academic, long-winded and a know-it-all. In Commedia performances, he often held forth with false facts and misquotes, making him the butt of many jokes like his friend Pantalone.
Image Credit:
The Dottore, about 1740-1741. Modeled by Johann Joachim Kaendler, Royal Porcelain Manufactory, Meissen. Hard-paste porcelain with enamel decoration and gilding. The Eugenia Woodward Hitt Collection 1991.329
Eugenia Woodward Hitt (1905-1991)
Birmingham native Eugenia Woodward Hitt was a collector of European paintings, sculpture and decorative arts. Within her decorative arts collection, her most prized possessions included a group of 27 Commedia dell’Arte figures made by Meissen. These were displayed prominently in her large New York City apartment. When Hitt died in 1991, her entire collection came to the Birmingham Museum of Art where it forms the foundation of our collection of European art. Eugenia Woodward Hitt knew what she liked and it’s been said of her that through her collection she “sought to create an environment as splendid as Versaillles, a mid-20th century interpretation of all that was glorious during the 18th century.” Indeed, her small-scale porcelain sculptures were the cherry on top.