Frozen Poetry: French Porcelain in New York – Refinement and Sophistication

Frozen Poetry: French Porcelain in New York – Refinement and Sophistication
When we heard about the museum heist in France, it was exciting to visit the heart of New York, where the first exhibition outside of France dedicated to the famous Sèvres Manufactory opened—the legendary center of porcelain art, where works of timeless beauty are born from snow-white clay.
I was incredibly fortunate to be in the company of a man who has been wielding a brush for over half a century, transforming porcelain into a living, breathing form. The artist I came with was Grigory Berdichevsky. Over thirty years ago, he came to New York and was immediately invited to a laboratory staffed by specialists from various countries—true virtuosos. Upon seeing his work, they immediately offered him porcelain modeling. Since then, this has become not only his American profession, which he has never abandoned, but also an art form filled with love and inspiration.
I always learn something new around him: about the secrets of restoration, about the mysteries of porcelain, about how easy it is, in his view, to distinguish an antique from a flawless copy. His stories are like the strokes of a fine brush, bringing life to everything around him.
The exhibition "Sevres Extraordinaire!", organized by the Manufacture de Sèvres and the Bard Graduate Center, immerses visitors in a world of light, fragility, and perfection. The halls seem filled with a translucent glow—from the soft reflections on the glaze to the refined silhouettes, seemingly frozen in the dance of time.
The exhibition tells the history of porcelain art – from exquisite Rococo and strict Neoclassicism to bold Art Deco and the imaginative forms of Surrealism.
I was particularly struck by a sculpture from a service created in 1777 for Empress Catherine II. The central column of the composition is crowned with Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and justice—it was her that the Russian empress requested in place of her own bust. This piece is more than just a table decoration; it is a symbol of power and intelligence, embodied in white porcelain.
The exhibition also features other masterpieces: the graceful works of Ferdinand Regnier, creator of relief ornamentation, the refined figures of the Art Deco era, and the contemporary experiments of Jim Dine, exploring the contrast between the smooth and the rough, the real and the abstract.
The works of Louise Bourgeois, a French-American sculptor, are captivating in their mystery—her porcelain forms convey strength, vulnerability, and feminine mystery.
Particularly fascinating is the story of the female artisans who, as early as the 18th century, created porcelain flowers that brought the manufactory its first success. Today, centuries later, approximately 120 artisans work in Sèvres' 27 workshops, many of them women, whose hands continue to embody the spirit of French excellence.
Marina Lagunova