The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 20, 2025

The Crucifixion

c. 1730

Du Paquier Porcelain Manufactory

(Austrian, active 1719–1864)
Austria, Vienna
porcelain, ebonized wood cross with gilt bronze mounts
Overall: 100 x 36.5 cm (39 3/8 x 14 3/8 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1997.185
Location: 214 Central and Northern European

Description

The second oldest European porcelain factory after that at Meissen (in Germany) was set up in Vienna in 1716. During its early years, the Vienna factory was privately owned by a court official, Claudius Innocentius Du Paquier, and its early wares—made before 1744—carry his name. They are characterized by energetic shapes, strong colors, and the use of gold for surface decoration. This is the only Du Paquier crucifix known today. The figure of Christ closely resembles the work of Vienna's most famous sculptor, Georg Raphael Donner (1693–1741), and was probably created by one of his followers especially to be used on this crucifix. The anatomical accuracy and precise detail of the figure, along with the abundance of gold decoration, indicate that the piece was probably a special commission intended for a distinguished patron, possibly a member of the Hungarian Esterházy family.
  • –1997
    Adrian Sassoon
    1997–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art
  • Cleveland Museum of Art, “Major European Porcelain Crucifix, Pre-Columbian Figure, and Other Works Added to CMA Collection,” December 3, 1997, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. archive.org
    Hawley, Henry, "A Du Paquier Crucifix", Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine. Vol. 39 no. 01, January 1999 Mentioned & reproduced: p. 4-5 archive.org
    D'Agliano, Andreina, Rita Balleri and Claudia Lehner-Jobst. Fragili tesori dei principi: Le vie della porcellana tra Vienna e Firenze. Livorno: Sillabe, 2018. Mentioned: p. 166, cat. #17; Reproduced: p. 167
    Lehner-Jobst, Claudia. "Sculptural Works in Porcelain." In A Marvellous Science: Passion for Porcelain in Baroque Vienna, edited by Stephan Koja, 42-43. Dresden: Sandstein, 2025. Mentioned and reproduced: p. 42-43, fig. 1; p. 181, no. 79
  • Wonder and Science. The Invention of Porcelain in Vienna. Liechtenstein Princely Collections, Wien, Austria (organizer) (January 30-March 30, 2025).
  • {{cite web|title=The Crucifixion|url=false|author=Du Paquier Porcelain Manufactory|year=c. 1730|access-date=20 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1997.185