Each exhibit of the Hermitage is a real masterpiece and has its own, often unusual, history. The service with a green frog has not only an intriguing name, but also serves as a unique artifact that unites the history of two countries: Russia and England, and is also considered the forefather of a whole trend in the art of porcelain production.
Unusual order
The famous English faience manufacturer Josiah Wedgwood, whose sets were proudly called “royal goods”, received a complex and very responsible order in 1773. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it was necessary to make a large ceremonial service for 52 people, whose painting with topographic accuracy would reproduce the views of England, Scotland and Wales. It was necessary to write more than 1220 landscapes, and none of them was to be repeated. The service was truly huge: about 950 items (the exact figure is unknown, as the sources indicate a different number).
The cost of the service was also more than impressive. In accounts are 14600 rubles 43 kopecks. The amount for those times unthinkable. Even the architect of the Tauride Palace, Starov received much less for his work: 9,600 rubles. The emblem of the service was supposed to be a green frog on the coat of arms. Subsequently, he was called: "Service with a green frog."
Who is the customer?
Huge responsibility imposes the identity of the customer. She was the Russian Empress Catherine II. For Wedgwood, the perfect execution of work was a matter of honor, it was very difficult to receive such an order, and, in addition, his creation had to compete with the service sent to the Empress by the Prussian king Frederick.
Intended service for the construction of a Gothic castle. The area where it was erected was called Kikeriki, which translated from Finnish means "frog marsh". Therefore, the usual green frog became the emblem of the service.
The castle was created to celebrate significant events, amusements and recreation of the Empress and was built on the lands that had ceased to Russia after the Northern War. It was in this castle in the Round Hall that the heroes of the war of 1812 were rewarded: Kutuzov, Suvorov. Here, Catherine II met with the George Knights.
The foundation of the castle was laid in 1774. By 1777 the complex was erected. It was built in the neo-gothic style, which came to Russia from England. This is practically the first neo-gothic architectural ensemble in the vicinity of St. Petersburg. Grand Duchess was fascinated by English architecture and landscape culture., as reported in a letter to Voltaire in the summer of 1772.
Medieval Gothic castles, churches, chapels in one form or another were an indispensable element of the classic English landscape. It could be both the original ruins of Gothic buildings, and new buildings erected in accordance with the Gothic canons. The traditions of Russian architecture were very different from the English ones, so the Russian neo-Gothic style of the 18th century is quite dependent on Russian classicism. This also reflected on the style of the Kekerekeksinensky palace complex.
English views were to decorate and ceremonial palace service. Thomas Bentley, Wedgwood's business partner, compiled a catalog for the Empress with names of all kinds, among which were urban and rural landscapes, natural landscapes, castles, abbeys, manors, and country houses. That is why the service has not only artistic, but also historical value.It recreates a unique and majestic panorama of the UK of the XVIII century, which has changed significantly now.
And many monuments of architecture and landscape culture are completely lost.
A masterpiece of ceramics art
It was assumed that all landscapes that adorn the service will be made from nature. However, it turned out that it would take a lot of time, so as sources began to use prints, drawings and watercolors. To this end, letters were sent to the owners of the estates and estates requesting them to send the available engravings and paintings with views of their possessions. The letters indicated that the catalog with the names of the owners would be submitted to the Russian empress. The importance of the owners did not matter, taking into account how beautiful the landscape was, and its compliance with the concept of the product.
The masters who painted the objects of the service most often reproduced the original with photographic accuracy, but in some cases the artist’s imagination surrounded the real historical structure with a fictional landscape made in the traditions of classicism. Wedgwood perfected the traditional ceramic composition of the English faience cream color. The new composition was named "Queen faience" in honor of the patroness of Wedgwood Queen Charlotte.
A green frog set was made from this material.
Formed and burned products at the Staffordshire factory "Etruria", and the painting was made in a painting workshop in Chelsea. The service was painted by more than 30 masters, each of whom carried out his own part of the work. A green frog, for example, on all subjects was written by one master.
The form of the items of service was based on the "royal form", so named because according to this model Wedgwood created the service for George III. This form was modified and later received the name "Catherine". Distinguished her strict smooth elegant contours. The frog service was intended for both lunch and dessert serving.
Dinnerware was framed by a border of oak branches, and dessert - from the branches of ivy.
The set consisted of a variety of plates of different sizes, dishes for game, fruits and vegetables, salad bowls, tureens, sauceboats, ice-cream bowls, bowls and much more. Some products were quite complex designs, including several parts. For example, the ice cream makers consisted of an ice compartment with a lid, an ice cream mold, and a three-dimensional hull with a tight top lid.
Painted crockery in warm olive-brown tones on a soft "creamy" backgroundThe only bright spot on each object is a symbolic little green frog. A triangular shield with its image crowns each ornament.
Carefully written landscapes amaze with grace and aristocracy.
The story of the frog service
Even during the creation of the objects of the service were exhibited in a specially hired for this house on Portland House in London, so that the British could admire it before being sent to Russia. The exhibition was so popular that it lasted longer than the allotted time. This brought additional fame to Wedgwood & Sons. The turnover of the manufactory increased significantly, the “Ekaterina’s” line of services was opened.
Catherine expressed her thanks to Wedgwood and the manufacturers through the ambassador in London. In Russia, the service was used at the most solemn receptions. For example, they were served a table in celebration of the decade of victory in the Chesme Bay of the Aegean Sea. In honor of this, the Kekerekeksky Palace itself became known as the Chesme. The Roman Emperor Joseph II was present incognito at this reception under the name of Count Falkenstein.
A festive dinner in honor of the consecration of the place under the Church of John the Baptist, where Gustav III, the King of Sweden, was present under the name of the Count of Gotland, also decorated the Green Frog. In the XIX century, the imperial service, ordered for the Chesme Palace, was lost, and it was considered irrevocable. But the English researcher Uliyamsson insisted on a thorough search, and at the beginning of the 20th century a set of boxes packed in boxes was found in the basements of the English Palace in Peterhof.
In 1912, the product of Wedgwood was exhibited at the Academy of Arts at the jubilee exhibition of the Wedgwood plant, and then solemnly transferred to the Hermitage. So far, 700 items from the Green Frog have been preserved. In addition to the Hermitage, some of them are represented in the collections of Peterhof and Cottage and are often shown at various exhibitions.
A review of the service with the green Wedgwood frog you can see below.
