Vienna Porcelain Manufactory
Bust of Heraclitus, 'The Weeping Philosopher'circa 1757

On view:

Geffen Galleries, floor 2

Artist or Maker: Vienna Porcelain Manufactory
Austria, Vienna, active 18th century
Artist or Maker: Johann Christoph Ludwig Lücke
Title: Bust of Heraclitus, 'The Weeping Philosopher'
Place Made: Austria
Date Made: circa 1757
Medium: Porcelain, white glaze
Dimensions: 13 1/4 x 4 3/4 x 3 1/2 in. (33.66 x 12.07 x 8.89 cm)
Credit Line: Decorative Arts Council Curatorial Acquisitions Discretionary Fund
Accession Number: M.83.4
Classification: Sculpture
Collecting Area: Decorative Arts and Design
Curatorial Notes: Ivory carver Johann Christoph Ludwig von Lücke arrived in Austria in 1750 to work as a highly paid “master modeler” at the Vienna Porcelain Manufactory, an enterprise in direct competition with his former employer Meissen in Germany. This small porcelain sculpture after a model by Lücke depicts the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus, whose despairing view of human folly earned him the nickname, “the weeping philosopher.” The sculpture is conceived as a miniature version of a life-sized bust on a pedestal. It is often found paired with a bust of Democritus, another Greek who chose to be amused by human folly and thus was known as “the laughing philosopher.” The opposing views of humanity espoused by these two philosophers made for a popular pairing in painting as well as sculpture. The busts were also available without pedestals and with or without colored enamel decoration.

On view:

Geffen Galleries, floor 2

Artist or Maker: Vienna Porcelain Manufactory
Austria, Vienna, active 18th century
Artist or Maker: Johann Christoph Ludwig Lücke
Title: Bust of Heraclitus, 'The Weeping Philosopher'
Place Made: Austria
Date Made: circa 1757
Medium: Porcelain, white glaze
Dimensions: 13 1/4 x 4 3/4 x 3 1/2 in. (33.66 x 12.07 x 8.89 cm)
Credit Line: Decorative Arts Council Curatorial Acquisitions Discretionary Fund
Accession Number: M.83.4
Classification: Sculpture
Collecting Area: Decorative Arts and Design
Curatorial Notes: Ivory carver Johann Christoph Ludwig von Lücke arrived in Austria in 1750 to work as a highly paid “master modeler” at the Vienna Porcelain Manufactory, an enterprise in direct competition with his former employer Meissen in Germany. This small porcelain sculpture after a model by Lücke depicts the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus, whose despairing view of human folly earned him the nickname, “the weeping philosopher.” The sculpture is conceived as a miniature version of a life-sized bust on a pedestal. It is often found paired with a bust of Democritus, another Greek who chose to be amused by human folly and thus was known as “the laughing philosopher.” The opposing views of humanity espoused by these two philosophers made for a popular pairing in painting as well as sculpture. The busts were also available without pedestals and with or without colored enamel decoration.