Fractured Identity: Fornasetti "Tema E Variazioni" Plate, Cracked Ice (Motiv 23)

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Fractured Identity: Fornasetti "Tema e Variazioni" Plate, Cracked Ice (Motiv 23)

A highly evocative and rare design, this Piero Fornasetti … Read more Fractured Identity: Fornasetti "Tema e Variazioni" Plate, Cracked Ice (Motiv 23)

A highly evocative and rare design, this Piero Fornasetti porcelain plate belongs to the acclaimed Themes & Variations (Tema e Variazioni) series. Produced by the Rosenthal Factory in the 1980s, this specific piece, Motiv Number 23, is noted for its distinctive "Cracked Ice" design, a powerful example of Fornasetti's surrealist imagination.

Design and Surreal Transformation
The plate features the instantly recognizable face of Fornasetti's muse, the opera singer Lina Cavalieri. Here, her portrait is fragmented by a web of black lines, giving the illusion that her face is fractured like cracked glass or ice. This motif subtly incorporates another variation: the design also portrays Cavalieri as a female Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, with symbolic elements intertwined in the graphic.

This manipulation of the central motif showcases the designer's core philosophy: using Cavalieri's classically beautiful face as an "archetype" to explore psychological states, fantasy, and visual illusion. The "Cracked Ice" effect breaks the serene surface, inviting the viewer to contemplate the hidden complexity and mystery beneath the aesthetic ideal.

Historical Context and Provenance
This plate is part of the limited range produced during the significant 1980s collaboration between the Fornasetti studio and Rosenthal, Germany. This partnership was vital in perpetuating the Fornasetti aesthetic globally, utilizing Rosenthal's high-quality porcelain to bring Piero Fornasetti's earlier graphic genius to the contemporary market. These mid-sized plates, sometimes called "Julia plates," are among the most collectible products of this era.

This piece carries exceptional Provenance: The Iris Apfel Collection, linking it to one of the most celebrated and iconoclastic collectors of the 20th and 21st centuries.

As Fornasetti himself attested: "What inspired me to create more than 500 variations on the face of a woman? I don't know. I began to make them and I never stopped."

Dimensions: Diameter: 9 1/4 inches × 1 inch high (23.50cm diameter).

Marking: The reverse is clearly marked in black and white: Rosenthal/Germany over the central Fornasetti hand and paint brush logo, followed by Decor:/Temi e variazioni/ Motiv 23.

Reference Notes
Catalogue Raisonné: The design principle of endless variations is extensively documented in: Mauries, Patrick, Fornasetti: Designer of Dreams (Thames and Hudson, 1991, or similar edition).

Citation: Mauries notes Fornasetti's creative compulsion: "For Fornasetti, a single product never exhausted the possibilities of an idea. He loved to let his imagination roam, finding more and more layers of meaning and association in the process." (Page 192).

Motif Origin: The entire series is founded on the face of operatic soprano Lina Cavalieri, who served as Fornasetti's primary template for over 500 variations.

Production: The markings confirm the 1980s Rosenthal Factory production, a key period for the revival of the Fornasetti brand.

Provenance: This plate was part of The Iris Apfel Collection, signifying its status as a notable example of sophisticated, eclectic design.

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