Exhibitions

Queen Victoria of England spent 63 years on the throne and it is her reign that has gone down in history as the Victorian Age. Victoria was crowned Queen on 28 June 1838. Queen Victoria's reign was a time of continued prosperity and wealth for England, with rapid growth in trade, industry, science, education and culture.

Queen Victoria was also known as the "Grandmother of Europe" because her nine children and 42 grandchildren were all related by kinship and marriage to royalty from all over Europe.

Porcelain was an integral part of interior decoration from the end of the 18th century, with the most luxurious pieces being found in the homes of aristocrats. However, from the 19th century onwards, porcelain also became available to the nobility, merchants and wealthy urban dwellers, with the art of the period being characterised by a vivid eclecticism and a wide range of inspirations.

The Industrial Revolution and rapid mechanisation led to a backlash in the art world. The 19th century saw the development of the use of natural forms in decorative art, which reached its apogee in the development of the Art Nouveau style at the end of the century.

Porcelain artists also increasingly used floral and floral motifs, focusing their work on interior objects. The influence of Neo-Rococo influences not only the paintings but also the shapes of the objects. Several porcelain factories across Europe are producing and exhibiting special nature-themed serving pieces at this time - in the shape of roses, plant leaves, flowers and shells.

The domestic genre also became popular in the nineteenth century in both high and applied art, and was most evident in the development of new forms and subjects for porcelain figurines. Figures depicting moments from everyday life became popular. In the private factories of the Russian Empire, figurines of an almost amicable nature were produced, depicting women in the act of morning toileting and other hygienic processes - cutting their nails, catching fleas or even settling down for the night.

The period's style is influenced by Romanticism and the glamour of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, with myths becoming particularly popular on decorative objects. This is strikingly reflected in the objects in the exhibition, which include objects produced by the Vienna Porcelain Manufactory, the decorative plate "Cupid and Sappho," and the perfume bottle "Dance of the Nymphs and Sleeping Cupid".

While the Victorian period refers directly to the reign of the Queen of England in France, this period is described as the style of Napoleon's Third or Second Empire. The main porcelain factory in France then was the National Manufacture of Sevres, which produced mainly items for the court. Still, there were also dozens of private porcelain factories in France simultaneously.

The Victorian porcelain exhibition will be on show in Stender's family hall on the second floor of the Liepāja Interior Museum until 1 October, 2023. The Liepāja Museum organizes the exhibition in collaboration with the Zuzeum Art Centre and the Zuzāns Collection.

Entrance fee: EUR 1.50