The Farnese bull; Alcora, XIX century.

Alcora, XIX century.
"The Farnese bull".
Glazed ceramic.
It has cracks, flaws and cracks of firing.
It has a seal on the base.
Measurements: 45 x 33 x 30 cm.
Sculpture made in glazed ceramic that reproduces the model of "The Farnese Bull", famous piece found in the Baths of Caracalla in Rome in 1546, according to Vasari. The work shows the moment in which Amphion and Zeto tie Dirce to a bull so that it drags her and kills her in revenge for the offenses against her mother, Antiope.
The Royal Factory of Alcora or Royal Factory of Earthenware and Porcelain was a royal manufactory created in 1727 in the town of Alcora in Castellón, Spain, at the initiative of Buenaventura Ximénez de Urrea, Count of Aranda, who belonged to the enlightened governments of Charles III and Charles IV. The factory remained active until 1895, and was the first industrial ceramic factory in the province, where there was already a long tradition of popular potteries. In its first period, until 1742, the factory produced mainly French-inspired pieces, derived from the Moustiers models, still baroque. In the second period, until 1798, the manufacture reached its peak and entered first into rococo and then neoclassicism. During this period, soft paste porcelain was produced, and emblematic series of the manufacture were produced, such as the Álvaro or the deception plates. The third period of the factory, already in the 19th century, is characterized by the unique production of earthenware and pipe earth, the introduction of patriotic motifs as a result of the War of Independence and the use of new decorative procedures such as intaglio.