A Meissen porcelain snuff box lid depicting Commedia dell'arte figures

A Meissen porcelain snuff box lid depicting Commedia dell'arte figures

The central reserve containing a finely painted scene of figures in a park. The inner faces with the conversing figures of a lady on the left and a standing gentleman on the right with Harlequin in the background making a lewd gesture, presumably a scene inspired by Antoine Watteau. Unmarked. In a gilt metal frame. H 7.6, W 9.6 cm.
Circa 1740, decor attributed to Johann Jacob Wagner.

Johann Jacob Wagner (circa 1709/10 - 1797) applied to the manufactory as a miniature painter in 1738 and was immediately employed by Johann Gregorius Hoeroldt. Rückert mentions an entry in the manufactory records in January 1739 stating that Wagner was particularly skilled in painting portraits on snuff box lids.

Literature

Cf. a bottle painted by Wagner in the Porzellansammlung SKD, inv. no. PE 5489.

For more on Wagner see Rückert, Biographische Daten der Meißener Manufakturisten des 18. Jahrhunderts, Munich 1990, p. 199 f.