Fornasetti Porcelain Themes & Variation Plate, Pattern 191

Details

Description

"The Silent Toast": Fornasetti "Themes & Variations" Plate #191 (Face with Bowl)

A playful and graphic porcelain wall plate from … Read more "The Silent Toast": Fornasetti "Themes & Variations" Plate #191 (Face with Bowl)

A playful and graphic porcelain wall plate from the celebrated "Themes & Variations" (Tema e Variazioni) series by Atelier Fornasetti.

This whimsical variation, identified as Number 191 in the series, depicts Piero Fornasetti’s muse, Lina Cavalieri, hiding behind a massive white sphere—resembling an oversized bowl or cup. She holds the object with both hands, obscuring the lower half of her face so that only her signature, heavy-lidded eyes peer over the rim. The design plays with scale and perspective, creating a surreal visual joke that suggests a moment of indulgence or concealment. The stark white of the bowl contrasts beautifully with the fine cross-hatching of the engraving.

Markings:

Reverse: Bears the standard Fornasetti mark (eye, hand, and brush logo) inscribed Tema e Variazioni / Fornasetti Milano / Made in Italy oval a green oval with the name of the porcelain blank maker- Arzburg.

Number: Hand-numbered or printed 191 (referencing the specific variation).

Condition: Excellent vintage condition.No chips, cracks, or surface wear to the transfer print.

Measurements:
Diameter: 10 inches (25.4 cm)
Height: 1 1/4 inches (3.2 cm)

Historical Context:

Fornasetti often used objects to mask or interact with Cavalieri’s face, changing the narrative of the image from a static portrait to a dynamic scene. In Variation #191, the introduction of the hands and the bowl adds a sense of action and human vulnerability, breaking the "statuesque" quality of the original 19th-century engraving.

The "Themes & Variations" Series:

The "Themes & Variations" (Tema e Variazioni) series is arguably Piero Fornasetti’s most famous and enduring artistic legacy. The series began in 1952 after Fornasetti stumbled upon the face of Lina Cavalieri, a 19th-century operatic soprano and celebrated beauty, in an old French magazine. Captivated by her classically perfect, enigmatic features, he adopted her visage as his ultimate muse and archetype. Over the course of his life, he obsessively reimagined her face in more than 350 distinct variations—transforming her into everything from a sun, a thief, and a clock, to surreal objects like the figure seen here. As Fornasetti famously explained, "I began to make them and I never stopped," proving that a single idea could provide endless creative possibilities.

(Ref: NY10984-crn) See less