Scapin 1745 - 1757

This is a figure of Scapin, made by the Capodimonte Porcelain Manufactory in the mid-18th century. It’s rendered in porcelain, a material prized for its smooth, translucent surface. Porcelain production was complex, involving precise mixing of materials, skillful modeling, and carefully controlled firing. Here, the figure is adorned with colorful striped garments, which demanded meticulous hand-painting. The figure’s character is drawn from Commedia dell’arte, a popular form of improvisational theatre. Scapin is presented with a theatrical flair, reflected in the figure’s exaggerated pose. The porcelain itself speaks to the aspirations of the European courts that underwrote the great manufactories. They sought to emulate the hard-paste porcelain that had been produced in China for centuries. But in doing so, they also became centers of innovation, and sites of intense labor, where the traditions of craft and the demands of early capitalism came together. Considering the material and process, then, helps us to appreciate the work’s full cultural significance.