Adding to the Mix 4: Johann Joachim Kändler’s Apollo (c. 1748)
June 1, 2012 - August 12, 2012
This exhibition focuses on the Ackland’s recent acquisition of a major example of eighteenth-century Meissen porcelain, a figure of Apollo by Johann Joachim Kändler.
Porcelain, long made in China, was first achieved in Europe around 1710 at the Meissen factory near Dresden, and Kändler was recognized as the foremost European sculptor in this medium. In the exhibition the figure will be contrasted with other figures from the collection in a variety of media, to show the distinctive qualities of porcelain as a medium for sculpture. In addition, a selection of prints and drawings will show various aspects of Apollo as visualized by artists from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century: sun-god, lover, slayer of the monstrous python, and patron of poetry.
Adding to the Mix is an informal series that evocatively sets recent acquisitions within the context of resonant works already in the collection.
Image Credit: Johann Joachim Kändler, German, 1706 – 1775; Apollo, from the Bath of Apollo centerpiece, c. 1748; porcelain with clear glaze; Gift of the William E. Shipp Estate, by exchange, 2012.7
