Manufacture nationale de Sèvres

The Manufacture nationale de Sèvres is France's premier porcelain manufactory, established in 1740 as a soft-paste workshop at Vincennes before moving to Sèvres in 1756. Under the patronage of Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour, the factory quickly became the leading porcelain producer in Europe, styling itself "the second Dresden" after Meissen.

The manufactory initially worked exclusively in soft-paste porcelain, switching to hard-paste production after kaolin deposits were discovered at Saint-Yrieix in 1769. Owned by the French crown and later the government since 1759, Sèvres has operated continuously for nearly three centuries. Today it functions as Sèvres - Cité de la céramique, a public institution still producing fine porcelain. Our collection includes 5 works at the Art Institute of Chicago.