Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur (KPM)
Épanouissement
c. 1900

About the Item

KPM Porcelain After Angelo Asti (French, 1847-1903) "Épanouissement" c. 1900 With Original Gold Gilded Frame Image Size: approx. 6 x 4 inches Framed Size: approx. 9 x 6 inches Everybody is familiar with that lovely picture, Innocence, which has been reproduced times without number and in every civilized land. But not everyone is familiar with the painter's almost romantic history, which terminated in his death in Mentone, France, in 1903. Most people suppose him to be a French artist, probably from the similitude of his figure pieces to French art. It is very proper to consider him as one of the Parisian artists, for he is so by association, and his rise and success all occurred in the city on the Seine. But Angelo Asti, for that is his name, was by birth an Italian. A little more that twenty years before his death a young Asti was a poor immigrant, bound for the United States, in quest of fortune, but for fame, that was not included in his dreams. He did not know that he possessed any particular artistic talent. There never had been, as far as he knew, an artist in his family. He had some little knack as a draftsman, but that is by no means rare among Italians. Young Asti drifted west and was living in Cincinnati, when he secured employment as a designer in a lithographic house. While working there he developed a talent as an illustrator that was more of a surprise to himself than to any else. With this revelation came the desire to devote himself to more ambitious work. In 1890 he returned to Europe and settled in Paris. Instead of apprenticing himself to one of the great masters, or entering one of the schools of painting, he determined to perfect himself in the art unaided. He daily visited the Louvre and other famous galleries and applied himself seriously, persistently, and practically to the study of every minute detail of painting. At night, in his own room, he tried his hand upon original work, his fancy always running to figure painting. From the outset his every impulse was dominated less by striking originality or virile force than by exquisite, harmonious beauty. He chose for his particular forte the painting of beautiful womankind, in which his ideal was to create the most perfect ensemble of face, form, grace of pose, and picturesqueness of drapery. His first finished work was admitted to the Salon that year, though the painter himself had no thought, in the first place, of submitting his canvas to the judges. He had sent it to the framer's to have a frame made. The framer was so entranced by the captivating beauty of the painting that he first urged and then begged Sig. Asti to send it to the Salon. It was not only awarded a high distinction, but created a sensation, a most unusual thing for the first exhibited work of an unknown artist. The fascination exercised by the painting on the framemaker was the first of a long series of precisely similar triumphs that resulted in making Sig. Asti widely known. He stood as a striking exemplar of that particular form of beauty that has always exerted the keenest fascination for men - a superbly beautiful woman. Year after year he sent to the Salon a new work in the same line, each succeeding painting being another revelation of exquisite loveliness. Although such a comparative newcomer in the art world - his painting covers only twelve years - Sig. Asti's works command unusually high prices. Many of his work are in the United States and Canada, and the man who was once a modest employee in a Cincinnati art printing office, was at his death represented by some of the most popular paintings in the public galleries of America.

Creator:
Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur (KPM) (German)
Creation Year:
c. 1900
Dimensions:
Height: 9 in (22.86 cm)Width: 6 in (15.24 cm)
Medium:
Oil,Porcelain
Movement & Style:
Victorian
Period:
Late 19th Century
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Missouri, MO
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU74733920762
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Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur (KPM)

Known by just KPM, the Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur company has been synonymous with exquisite porcelain works fit for nobility and royalty for over 200 years. KPM porcelain plates, centerpieces and sculptures are painstakingly formed through ages-old techniques and meticulously painted by hand, producing one-of-a-kind quality.

KPM began in Berlin in 1763, founded by King Frederick II of Prussia, after two other entrepreneurs had been unsuccessful in establishing porcelain manufacturing companies in Germany. In 1878, KPM developed a relationship with the Chemical-Technical Research Institute and its director, Hermann Seger. This partnership gave KPM early access to advances in porcelain production and coloration.

KPM flourished under the banner of royal ownership until 1918, when it became a state-run entity after the monarchy was disbanded following Germany’s loss in World War I. With the rise of the Nazi Party in the 1930s, many of the company’s top designers and directors were dismissed, denied exhibitions or forced to flee Germany due to Jewish heritage or loyalty to Jewish colleagues. In 1943, an Allied bombing raid destroyed the KPM factory, and the company was not reestablished until after the war.

KPM reopened in Franconia and began producing porcelain wares. Some staff also worked on reconstructing the historic KPM site in Berlin. In 1957, manufacturing returned to the original company premises.

KPM rebounded over the next few decades. In 2006, in a step to privatize companies throughout the country, German financier Jörg Woltmann bought the organization.

Since its privatization, the company has opened many galleries and shops around Germany and has worked in collaboration with notable brands like Bottega Veneta and Bugatti motor company in recent years.

Although rooted in the Rococo style, KPM has adapted its craft to meet the current trends, all while maintaining the highest levels of excellence throughout its centuries of operation. It continues to produce lavish, elegant porcelain works for elite clientele the world over.

On 1stDibs, browse a vast selection of Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur serveware, decorative objects, lighting and more.