French Porcelain in the NGV Collection: John Whitehead

FREE EVENT, NO BOOKING REQUIRED

Hear from international French porcelain specialist, John Whitehead, as he discusses the NGV’s holdings of eighteenth-century French porcelain, finishing up with a close look at the magnificent Art Nouveau suite of Scarf Dance figures by the Sèvres manufactory, on display at NGV International.

The Scarf Dance (Le Jeu de l’Écharpe) series of porcelain figures by the Sèvres manufactory has become one of the most iconic expressions of the Art Nouveau style, embodying the principles of organic form and movement and the representation of the now liberated female form. It comprises figures of women dressed in flowing garments and dancing with scarves and musical instruments. While each individual has a distinctive character and pose, the whole ensemble possesses a rhythm and harmony that contributes to the unity of the whole.

About the Speaker:

John Whitehead is an art dealer, writer and lecturer specialising in French eighteenth and nineteeth-century decoration and works of art, including Sèvres porcelain. He has served as a member of the Council of the Furniture History Society and is currently a member of the committee of the French Porcelain Society, with responsibility as co-editor of the Society’s Journal. In 2010 he was made an officier of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in recognition of services to the Arts, and in 2014 he was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London.

Learn more: https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/program/french-porcelain/

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