Johann Joachim Kändler
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Johann Joachim Kellers (born June 15, 1706 in Fischbach , † May 17, 1775 in Meißen ) was one of the most important modellers at the Meißen porcelain factory .
Life
K Händler was born on June 15, 1706 as the son of a pastor in Fischbach, Saxony. He grew up in a classically educated environment and therefore had an excellent knowledge of Greek mythology. This knowledge, a lot of manual skills and an excellent gift for observation laid the foundation for Kändler's later career, which would lead him to the court of the Prussian King Friedrich II . On June 11, 1732, he married Johanna Elisabeth, the daughter of Peter Eggebrecht , royal court porcelain manufacturer and owner of the Dresden faience manufactory, in Dresden's Dreikönigskirche. The porcelain artist's financial success ran parallel to his social rise. But although he had several properties and his own vineyard at the end of his life, he left behind heavy debts when he died in 1775. He was quietly buried in the St. Afra cemetery in Meißen.
Kellers as modellers
Kändler's professional career began with the famous Dresden court sculptor and altar carver Johann Benjamin Thomae (1682–1751), where the priest's son from Fischbach was an apprentice. Even then, he showed a lot of skill and an extraordinary perception, which brought him responsible tasks from a young age. His talent did not go unnoticed and on June 22, 1731, at the age of 25, he was appointed court sculptor by August the Strong and hired as a modeler in the Meissen porcelain factory. There he first worked as a model master. His early porcelain animal groups show a powerful implementation of the impression of nature under the influence of Dresden sculpture. Later, Kellers became head of sculptural design and finally an arcanist . The high point of his career was undoubtedly his appointment as court commissioner in 1749.
The fame of the Meissen manufactory is based on Kändler's technically and aesthetically perfect porcelain sculptures. At the swan service for his patron, Count von Brühl , he developed the small figure scene, which enriches the utensils in the form of elevators and masquerades. His works are characterized by elegant swing and light grace and are the most perfect expression of the Rococo .
The works that he created on behalf of Meissen changed porcelain production forever. So far, copperplate engravings have been used, but he traveled to study nature. His early sculptures, which primarily reproduced motifs from the animal world, were praised for their naturalness and elegance, which set them apart from the pathos of the usual representations. Worth mentioning are his bird sculptures, for example jay with squirrel and stag beetle , oriole and hoopoe with cockchafer . Kändler's porcelain carillon, created in 1737 , was playable, but direct tuning of the bell bodies was not yet possible. The "Swan Service", commissioned by Count von Brühl in 1738 and today considered a major work of baroque porcelain art, marked his turn to decorative small figures. Later on, Kellers turned more to court life and was inspired by the then extremely popular form of theater, the Commedia dell'arte . Together with his colleagues, he created whole groups of small accessories and figurines that reproduced the shepherd romance of the Rococo and breathed life into the Commedia dell'arte characters. Out of the more than a thousand different motifs, the monkey chapel, which was built in 1753, stands out, which Kellers wanted to see as a metaphorical rejection of any kind of compulsiveness. With this homage to the Enlightenment ideal of the free and reasonable person, he hit the zeitgeist and created a timeless masterpiece of European porcelain art. The monkey band has lost none of its popularity to this day and is still reproduced. The crucifixion group in the castle church Lauchhammer-West comes from KÄNDER .
In addition to his work as a sculptor, KÄNDER has also made an outstanding contribution to Meissen in other roles. First as head of sculptural design, then later as a holder of secrets, he led the state porcelain manufacture through the troubled times of the Austro-Prussian wars and kept production going against all odds. After forty-five years in the factory, Johann Joachim Kändler died on May 17, 1775 in Meißen and was buried on May 23, 1775 in the St. Afra cemetery.
souvenir
In Fischbach a memorial plaque made of Meissen porcelain reminds of the house where he was born, the parsonage of the village. In addition, a street in the village was named after him. There is also a memorial plaque on Kändler's house on Domplatz in Meißen. In Meißen on the left bank of the Elbe, near the bridgehead of the old town bridge, there is the KÄNDERPARK with the KÄNDERFUNNEN. The park and fountain were opened on June 4, 1960 to mark the 250th anniversary of the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory. The fountain was designed according to a design by Ludwig Zepner and is crowned with a helmet cassowary made of porcelain. The cassowary was designed after a model by KÄNDER. The plastic was stolen in 1990 and replaced by a remodel in 1992. In 2001 it was damaged again. Since 2015, a cassowary has graced the fountain again in summer.
literature
- Sigfried Asche: Kellers, Johnnn Joachim. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 10, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1974, ISBN 3-428-00191-5 , p. 731 f. ( Digitized version ).
- Carl Clauss: Kellers, Johann Joachim . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 15, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1882, p. 76 f.
- Helmuth Gröger: Johann Joachim Kaendler. The master of porcelain. For the 250th anniversary of his birth (= Dresden contributions to art history. Vol. 2, ZDB -ID 526059-0 ). Jess Verlag, Dresden 1956 (licensed edition. Dausien Hanau 1956).
- Ingelore Menzhausen: ... everything can be made from porcelain ... In memory of JJ Kändler's 200th anniversary of death. In: Sächsische Heimatblätter. Vol. 21, No. 6, 1975, ISSN 0486-8234 , pp. 245-247.
- Rainer Rückert : Biographical data of the Meißen manufacturers of the 18th century (= catalogs of the Bavarian National Museum. Vol. 20 = catalog of the Meissen porcelain collection Ernst Schneider Castle Lustheim, Oberschleissheim before Munich. Supplement.). Bavarian National Museum, Munich 1990, ISBN 3-925058-13-3 .
- Otto Walcha : Meissen porcelain. VEB Verlag der Kunst, Dresden 1973, ISBN 3-364-00012-3 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Peter Dittmar: Meissen's master. 300 years ago Johann Joachim Kellers was born, who led the Meissen porcelain factory to fame with his sculptures. His models are still in great demand today. In: welt.de. November 12, 2006, accessed January 1, 2017 .
- ^ Günter Naumann: Stadtlexikon Meißen , Sax-Verlag, Beucha 2009, page 156, ISBN 978-3-86729-013-5 .
Web links
- Literature by and about Johann Joachim Kändler in the catalog of the German National Library
- Trader in the history of Central Germany
- Meissen porcelain collection Ernst Schneider Foundation in Lustheim Palace
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Kellers, Johann Joachim |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German modeller of the Meissen porcelain factory |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 15, 1706 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Fischbach near Arnsdorf , Electorate of Saxony |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 17, 1775 |
| Place of death | Meissen , Electorate of Saxony |