The Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory (in German Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg), lays claim to a long history, with the Bavarian company producing high quality porcelains since 1747. The ‘white gold’ is designed today by contemporary artists, and coveted by many collectors.
(...) Continue readingNymphenburg and the House of Wittelsbach
The Nymphenburg porcelain manufactory originated as an initiative of Elector Max III Joseph and is thus closely linked to the Bavarian royal house of Wittelsbach. The Elector wished to rehabilitate his ailing state finances by establishing manufactories and therefore founded his Churfürstliche Porcelain-Fabrique on 1st November 1747, which was set up in the ‘Grünes Schlössl’ in Neudeck near Munich – a location carefully chosen as the nearby Auer Mühlbach stream could provide the necessary waterpower to operate the mill. Early technical difficulties in porcelain production, combined with the seemingly wasted high investments, initially caused displeasure and disinterest on the part of the electoral patron. However, this changed when the production techniques were finally mastered in 1754 and Franz Anton Bustelli, an extremely capable sculptor and modeller, was employed as a figurist. In 1755, the porcelain manufactory received its first court commission, and in 1756, the coveted ‘white gold’ was painted with colour for the first time.
Glamorous rise and difficult years
The Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg prospered under its new director, the lawyer and entrepreneur Sigmund Graf von Haimhausen, and received numerous commissions from the House of Wittelsbach, which, among other things, commissioned the production of the Bavarian Royal Service. Artists such as Dominik Auliczek the Elder and Johann Peter Melchior succeeded Bustelli. Under Maximilian I, the painter Anton Auer transferred paintings from the royal gallery to a porcelain service, followed by Christian Matthias Adler in 1815. Maximilian's son Ludwig I also proved to be a great patron of the porcelain manufactory until his abdication. In the mid-19th century, the order situation suddenly collapsed and the company was privatised and shifted to the production of sanitary, medical and technical articles; in addition, robust hotel tableware without artistic decoration was produced as well as porcelain medallions for gravestones. The businessman Albert Bäuml, who leased Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg in 1888, brought about a new upswing and continued the artistic traditions of its initial heyday.
War damage and a successful new beginning
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg once again focused on contemporary artists such as the sculptors Joseph Wackerle, Theodor Kärner and Willy Zügel, in addition to reissuing historical motifs, and from 1932, the designer Wolfgang von Wersin created several dinner services. The manufactory produced various decorative objects for the architect Paul Ludwig Troost, who was patronised by Adolf Hitler, and the economically significant collaboration was continued by Troost's widow Gerdy Troost. During the Second World War, Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg, like other companies, had to produce items essential to the war effort, such as model heads for diving caps and rubber gloves, making it a target for Allied bombing raids, which caused extensive damage. Timely relocation saved the most valuable moulds and models, so that production could be resumed in 1946, but under difficult conditions. Today, the company deliberately does not have its own development department: Instead, Manufaktur Nymphenburg works with contemporary artists and designers, including Carsten Höller, Konstantin Grcic, Olaf Nicolai, Hella Jongerius, Joep van Lieshout and Kiki Smith.
Nymphenburg - Works that have already been sold at Kunsthaus Lempertz:
