The Industrial Arts in Spain Part 42
Jenaro Bonincosa.
Nicolas Rocio.
Pasqual Rocco.
Juan Frate.
Baldo de Beneditis.
Vincenzio Frate.
Matheo Mayni.
Giorchino Amable.
Joseph Esclavo.
Antonio Aquaviva Esclavo.
WORKMEN WHO POUNDED THE COLOURS.
Francisco Conte.
Nicolas Conte.
Angelo Lionelli.
Joseph Caramello.
Joachim Pataroti, carver in pietri dure.
WORKMEN EMPLOYED AT THE WHEEL.
Joseph Grossi.
Nicolas Botino.
Juan Remini, gold beater.
Pedro Chevalier, mounter.
PAINTERS.
Jose de la Torre.
Juan Bautista de la Torre.
Nicolas de la Torre.
Fernando Sorrentini.
Mariano Nani.
Jenaro Boltri.
Nicolas Donadio.
Antonio Provinciale.
Joseph del Coco.
Carlos Remissi.
Francesco Simini.
Xavier Brancacio.
Joseph Esclavo.
Francisco Esclavo.
On the 19th of December, 1759, Don Carlos de Borbon, the King's architect, presented him with the plans of the porcelain manufactory.
The spot selected was inside the gardens of the Royal Palace of Buen Retiro. Ponz tells us in his "Viage," Vol. VI. p. 108, that the building was large and of regular architecture. We know it cost 179,130 reals.
Don Carlos de Borbon was a black slave who had been captured with other blacks during the reign of Ferdinand VI. The Queen-mother sent them to Naples, and Charles III. gave them an artistic education.
Don Carlos Antonio became the King's architect. On the 22nd of May, 1760, the building was finished, the money then spent amounted to upwards of 145,000 reals, and Larruga tells us, in his Memorias, "The King spent in establishing this manufactory 115,000, with a yearly cost to keep it up of 20,000."
William Clarke, in his "Letters concerning the Spanish Nation during the years 1760-1761," London, 1763, says, p. 262: "At Madrid is lately set up a manufacture of porcelain in the gardens of the King's palace at the Retiro, wrought by artificers brought from Saxony." Doc.u.ments exist proving that in 1760-1761, they were already working there. Townsend, in his "Journey through Spain in 1786 and 1787," London, 1792, says, Vol.
II., p. 278:--
"I tried to obtain admission to the china manufacture, which is likewise administered on the King's account, but His Majesty's injunctions are so severe that I could neither get introduced to see it, nor meet with any one who had ever been able to procure that favour for himself. I was the less mortified upon this occasion because, from the specimens which I have seen, both in the palace at Madrid, and in the provinces, it resembles the manufacture of Sevres which I had formerly visited in a tour through France."
In the "Nouveau voyage en Espagne, ou Tableau de l'etat actuel de cette monarchie," Paris, 1789, Vol. I. p. 233, the author tells us, how "Le monarque actuel a etabli dans leur interieur une fabrique de porcelaine, dont l'entree est jusqua present interdite a tout le monde. On veut sans doute que ses essais se perfectionment dans le silence, avant de les exposer aux yeux des curieux. Ses productions ne peuvent encore se voir que dans les Palais des Souverains, ou dans quelques Cours d'Italie, auxquelles il les envoie en presens."
We find in a "Nouveau voyage en Espagne," Paris, 1805, p. 34, in describing this porcelain manufactory that the author says; "Cet etabliss.e.m.e.nt tres couteux ne travaille que pour le Roi et a son compte; il en sort des vases d'une beaute et d'un fini qui ne le cedent point a ceux de Sevres."
Citoyen Alquier, in 1800, the envoy of the French Republic, was allowed to visit the manufactory.
We do not know the precise date when porcelain began to be manufactured at the Retiro. Clarke, writing in 1761, says the works had begun, and in 1764 pupils attended the cla.s.ses at the Academy of S^{n} Fernando.
Larruga, in his "Memorias," says that as soon as the building was finished, china was made under the superintendence of Don Cayetano Schepers; the works, during his superintendence, proved very unsatisfactory, to his great astonishment, as the same process and workmen were employed as at Naples. Schepers attributes it to squabbles between the Spanish and Italian workmen. Sebastian Schepers, from 1783, a son of Cayetano's, tried various experiments with different clays of the country.
The porcelain made at Buen Retiro was kept for the first thirty years for the exclusive use of the royal family, or to be sent as presents to foreign courts. Nothing was offered for sale until January, 1789, after Charles III.'s death, 1788, when Charles IV. determined that the china manufactured at Buen Retiro might be sold. Even in Spain the specimens of this china are very scarce; it is only at the palaces of Madrid, Aranjuez, the Escorial and La Granja that an idea can be formed of the perfection of this manufacture.
The director at that time was Don Domingo Bonicelli, a son of Don Juan Bonicelli. Don Domingo chose a room within the Retiro, which was arranged at a cost of 350, in which to exhibit the objects for sale.
Another room was taken in the Calle del Turco, which is mentioned in "Noticias varias y curiosas de Madrid," Valero Chicarro, 1762-1793, which we find was closed in 1800, as the "objects manufactured at the Retiro were simply for ornament, and could only be bought by very rich persons." Southey in his "Letters from Spain," London, 1797, p. 118, says, "The old palace of Buen Retiro is converted into a royal porcelain manufactory; the prices are extravagantly high, but they have arrived at great excellence in the manufacture. The false taste of the people is displayed in all the vases I saw there, which though made from Roman models, are all terminated by porcelain flowers."