Large Berlin Porcelain Plaque -- The Fruit Garland After Peter Paul Rubens

Our client's very large porcelain plaque measuring 12.5 by 20 inches, depicting The Fruit Garland after Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) was masterfully painted by Carl Meinelt (active 1852-1886).  Signed in lower right, "C Meinelt 1856" in lower right.  On reverse incised "l 20 12 1/2 h".

For a similar work, see lot 70 of Phillips sale in London on June 7, 1995, which included a KPM plaque depicting this same work by Rubens, painted by Meinelt on KPM plaque of identical size, 12 1/2 by 20 inches.  And, another KPM plaque of same subject and size also painted by Meinelt was offered in lot 266 of Phillips sales in London on September 16, 1998.

According to Christie's and the Royal Collection Trust, Meinelt was known as a painter on porcelain and watercolourist working in Bamberg from 1852 to 1886, who specialized in classical and genre subjects. He is known to have exhibited in Paris as early as 1855, and in 1862 won a bronze medal at the International Exhibition in South Kensington, London, or a work after Leonardo da Vinci.  He also worked as one of a team of artists for the porcelain painting institute of Carl Schmidt, which had been based in Bamberg, thirty miles south of Prince Albert’s home town of Coburg, since 1833.  As well as making copies of Old Master paintings, Meinelt also produced a number of popular genre scenes often focusing on idealised, female figures in rural settings, including a work purchased by Queen Victoria.

This famous and adored painting by Rubens, completed in 1617, depicts seven putti carrying a large garland of fruit in a mountainous landscape and now resides in the collection of Alte Pinakothek in Munich, Germany.