A Meissen white glazed porcelain figure of Saint Andrew.
A Meissen white glazed porcelain figure of Saint Andrew. Blue crossed swords mark to the back of the socle. Minor restorations to the tips of the cross, one foot and the right lappet of drapery; firing cracks. H 37.3 cm.
Modelled by Johann Joachim Kaendler, before or ca. 1740, based on a statue of the saint made ca. 1708 / 09 by Camillo Rusconi for the Basilica of Saint John Lateran.
Kaendler was employed as a model maker at the Meissen manufactory on 21st June 1731 when he was just 25 years old. His workshop records from one year later mention models of the Apostles Peter and Paul. Two orders for altarpieces, the "Roman order" of 1735 and the great order for the Vienna court in 1737 prompted him to create several other such figures throughout his career. The figure of Saint Andrew is first mentioned in 1740: "6. Saint Andrew, fully ammended and moulded in clay standing at his cross, ready for forming." (from the German, Leipzig 2002, p. 69). Kaendler ammended the hands and socle of the figure many times, which explains why several details of the version made for Empress Amalie differ, such as the right hand which is here shown grasping the drapery and the quatrefoil form of the socle as opposed to the square one shown here.
Literature
Cf. Sponsel, Kabinettstücke, Leipzig 1900, p. 121, the figure on a slightly concave, moulded plinth.
Cf. Pietsch, Meißner Porzellanplastik, Munich 2006, the figure on a tall, moulded socle, also in the Zwinger porcelain collection.
For the orders of these pieces, including the subsequent orders and the Vienna copies cf.: Tietzel, Keramos153/96, p. 131 ff.