Lot 196 Dα

KPM's renewed success at this time was to a large extent due to Frederick William III and his family's requirement for representative gifts to be given to royal relatives and allies, dignitaries and family members. The pieces should demonstrate the artistic and technical prowess that the factory offered its royal patrons in the early 19th century.
During the 1810s and 1820s, these presentation pieces were usually decorated with views of places and buildings illustrating the bonds between the monarchy and the recipients. As of 1826 the especially valuable pieces were increasingly decorated with panoramic views in place of the earlier, simpler architectural depictions.
The KPM painters were able to project detailed city panoramas and entire landscapes on to the rounded bodies of vases and bowls through the skilful choice of viewpoints and use of perspective. However, it was important to choose the right vase design to suit the depiction, and the Munich form first proved most fitting. Although the tapering form of the lower section required particular skill to successfully transfer the design, the almost cylindrical body provided an excellent ground for panoramas.
Eduard Wilhelm Forst came from a family of porcelain painters and had already exhibited a richly gilt vase painted with a panoramic view of the Berlin royal palace. He presumably also painted the present work.
According to an entry in the accounts book (conto-buch) from 20th June 1832, the vase was presented to Prince Frederick of the Netherlands. Brought up in the Prussian court, he married the daughter of Frederick William III, Louise of Prussia, in 1825. During the Wars of Liberation he fought with the Netherlandish army and together with his brother became one of the leading protagonists in this conflict.