Images(7)

The Lady's Toilette

Maker Josse-François-Joseph Le Riche (French, born 1738 or 1741, died 1812)

Afterafter a model by Louis-Simon Boizot (French, 1743 - 1809)

Manufacturermanufactured by Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory (French, active from 1756 to the present)

Additional Title(s)

La Toilette de Madame

ClassificationsDECORATIVE ARTS

Dateca. 1775-1780

Mediumbiscuit soft-paste porcelain

Dimensions10 1/4 x 11 5/8 x 8 1/2 in. (26 x 29.5 x 21.6 cm.)

DescriptionThis sculpture portrays a convivial scene of family life, showing the husband, two children, two servants, and the family's pets gathered around the lady of the house as she is coiffed for the day.

Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Gift of MaryLou Boone

Status

On view

Label TextThis figure group, like the other two on display in this case, portrays an intimate and convivial scene from the daily life of an elite family. Here, a well-to-do woman sits in front of a mirror while a servant dresses her hair and her children play nearby. Such a nurturing familial relationship was newly valued during the Age of Enlightenment.
Made of biscuit, unglazed and uncolored porcelain, the composition resembles marble sculpture, reflecting the renewed interest in classical art at the time.

Object number2010.6.24