Pair of goblets; France, 20th century

Pair of glasses; Sèvres, France, 20th century
Glazed porcelain
Bears a mark on the base
Measurements: 68 x 32 x 24 cm.

A pair of large, turquoise-glazed porcelain cups with two side handles featuring a scalloped profile, decorated with garlands of flowers and bows. The ovoid-shaped bowl features a fluted neck and a lid topped with a pineapple motif, while the front is adorned with a large medallion depicting an allegorical scene featuring cherubs; the rest of the surface is finished in the characteristic turquoise color. The scenes decorating both cartouches reproduce François Boucher’s composition “Les Génies des Arts” (1761), housed at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Angers—a large-format canvas commissioned by Madame de Pompadour’s brother that originally served as a preparatory cartoon for a series of tapestries.

The Sèvres porcelain manufactory, founded in 1756 under the patronage of Louis XV and closely linked to Madame de Pompadour herself, became the leading European porcelain manufacturer of the 18th century thanks to its innovative high-fire colored backgrounds, among which the famous “bleu céleste” or turquoise blue that decorates these pieces stands out; it was developed around 1752 and was originally reserved for the highest-quality commissions. These colored backgrounds, combined with pictorially inspired figurative designs and lavish gilding, defined the Louis XVI style and have been constantly reproduced and reinterpreted by numerous European manufacturers from the 19th century to the present day, as is the case with this pair.