Johann Peter Melchior Graf von Montgelas 1814-1

Johann Peter Melchior (8 March 1747 – 13 June 1825) was a German

porcelain Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises mainl ...

modeller. Melchior was born in

Lintorf Lintorf is a village at the transition of the Berg region into the lower Rhine plain in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Since 1975 it has been a quarter of the city of Ratingen. History, geography & transport Lintorf was suburbanised in 1975. Rat ...

. He was interested in art from an early age and was apprenticed to a sculptor in

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...

. He made a name for himself in the porcelain trade and was named ''Modellmeister'' at the acclaimed Höchst porcelain factory in 1767, a post he held until 1779. He later worked at the factories at

Frankenthal Frankenthal (Pfalz) ( pfl, Frongedahl) is a town in southwestern Germany, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. History Frankenthal was first mentioned in 772. In 1119 an Augustinian monastery was built here, the ruins of which — known, aft ...

(1779–93) and

Nymphenburg The Nymphenburg Palace (german: Schloss Nymphenburg, Palace of the Nymphs) is a Baroque palace situated in Munich's western district Neuhausen-Nymphenburg, in Bavaria, southern Germany. Combined with the adjacent Nymphenburg Palace Park it consti ...

(1797–1822). He died in

. Melchior was a transitional figure between

Rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...

and

Neoclassicism Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism was ...

. His early work was graceful and often sentimental, and his favourite subjects included religious groups, pastoral scenes, characters from mythology, and children. As his career progressed, his works became less sentimental and more neoclassical.

References

*Charlotte Jacob-Hanson, "Johann Peter Melchior, Master Modeller," The Magazine Antiques, Vol. CLIV, No. 3, September 1998, pp. 338–345. 1747 births 1825 deaths People from Ratingen German artists {{Germany-artist-stub