The Rape of Orithyia by Boreas c. 1745

The Rape of Orithyia by Boreas, of undetermined date, was made at the Ginori Manufactory in Sesto Fiorentino, Italy, from porcelain. This sculpture, with its crisp and immaculate white surface, speaks to the ambition of the Ginori manufactory to master porcelain production. Porcelain is a challenging material, requiring great skill in molding, firing, and glazing to avoid imperfections. The twisting forms of the figures, Boreas and Orithyia, are a testament to the expertise of the factory's modelers. This object would have been slip-cast, probably in multiple parts, then carefully assembled and fired. But beyond the virtuosity required to create this sculpture, the choice of porcelain also speaks to a desire for refinement, luxury, and marketability. While the subject matter might have seemed shocking, the pure white porcelain elevates the piece to a high-status object that blurred the lines between art and design. Ultimately, the importance of this sculpture lies not only in its artistic merit but also in its complex relationship to labor, class, and the burgeoning world of industrial production.