Bust of Louis XV
Mennecy Porcelain Manufactoryabout 1750–1755
The J. Paul Getty Museum
Los Angeles, United States
Made of soft-paste porcelain, this large bust was probably fired in the kilns of Mennecy, which were only 22.5 centimeters high. As this sculpture is 42.5 centimeters tall, the king's bust had to be fired separately from the base and then joined together above the crown. The king's head sunk slightly in the kiln, giving him a rather raised ribcage.
Louis XV appears at the height of his powers, at about the age of forty. The bust was probably inspired by a marble sculpture by Jacques-François-Joseph Sally, which was erected in the town of Valenciennes in 1752. The decorations on the plinth include the arms of France beneath the crown surrounded by swords, a cannon, drums, and battle standards.
- Title: Bust of Louis XV
- Creator: Mennecy Porcelain Manufactory
- Date Created: about 1750–1755
- Location Created: Mennecy, France
- Physical Dimensions: 43.2 × 24.3 × 14.4 cm (17 × 9 9/16 × 5 11/16 in.)
- Type: Bust
- External Link: Find out more about this object on the Museum website.
- Medium: Soft-paste porcelain
- Terms of Use: Open Content
- Number: 84.DE.46
- Culture: French
- Credit Line: The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
- Creator Display Name: Mennecy Porcelain Manufactory (French, active 1750 - 1777)
- Classification: Decorative Art (Art Genre)
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