This Chinese porcelain plate, part of the Decorative and Ornamental Arts Collection of the Museum of Angra do Heroismo, reproduces a work by the French painter Pierre-Antoine Baudoin (1723–1769), known for his gallant and idyllic scenes: a boy picks cherries and hands them to a young woman who collects them in her lap, while another kneeling woman beside them appears to guide the gathering. A basket, possibly intended for storing and transporting the fruit, and a small dog complete the rural scene. Copied in China from an engraving by Nicolas Ponce (1746–1831), the ceramist reinterpreted the theme by placing the figures in an oriental landscape, removing facial expressions, and eliminating all shadows, following the aesthetic rules in use at the time. This theme, known as The Cherry Picking, became one of the most reproduced motifs in Chinese porcelain made for European orders around 1775, and in Portugal is known as “Companhia das Índias.” It can be seen in the second section of the exhibition From Sea and Land… a History in the Atlantic.
Texto: Ana Almeida (a partir de Museu Aberto Nº 4)
