Deborah Gage on Sevres Porcelain

Deborah Gage's lecture is entitled Two Royal Prerogatives: Fired by Passion. Porcelain, the finest and most highly prized form of ceramic, has been made in China since the 7th century. For centuries Europeans sought the formula for making porcelain. During the second half of the 18th century, France became the leading porcelain manufacturer in Europe with the center of the French porcelain industry at the national porcelain manufactory at Sévres. The Sévres factory was recognized for its rich colors, the quality of its individual painters, and the opulence of its gilt decoration. Though it began in private hands, Sévres soon came under the royal patronage of King Louis XV. Sévres became paramount in Europe in establishing eighteenth century taste from the point of view of technical and aesthetic excellence. Miss Gage's lecture will consider the history and development of Sévres set against the character of its three major patrons - the Marquise Pompadour, Louis XV, and Louis XVI.
Deborah Gage has over forty year's experience as a dealer and consultant in the global art market. She began her career in 1971 and since 1980 has been based in London. In 1987, she opened a gallery specializing in 17th through early 20th century European paintings and works of art. She has acted as an independent agent and consultant for private collectors and museums around the world and worked with a number of American museums curating and mounting exhibitions. In addition, Ms. Gage is responsible for the collection of Firle Place in Sussex, England, the ancestral home of the Gages since 1497. She founded The Charleston Trust in 1980 to save Charleston Farmhouse, on the Firle Estate, home of the British artists, Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant.
Presented by the Pottery and Porcelain Club; free and open to the public.