Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory

The Sèvres porcelain factory has produced objects and wares heralded for innovative design and technique since its founding in Vincennes, France in 1740. Named after the town to which it moved in 1756, Sèvres porcelain was considered the paragon of 18th-century European porcelain and prized for its cobalt oxide-infused glaze known as “bleu de Sèvres.” However, not until the factory’s 19th-century rebirth under the direction of Alexandre Brongniart did its output explode. Eighty-nine different cup models alone were decorated in styles ranging from Renaissance, to Gothic, to Neoclassical, its commissioned artisans often copying contemporary paintings as well as works by old masters, especially Raphael, onto the wares. Later, as Art Nouveau emerged, asymmetrical, organic forms predominated. Today, the French Ministry of Culture oversees the factory, which continues to produce contemporary designs as well as historical reproductions, as well as its related museum.