Pronk’s ‘Doctor’s Visit’ Plate #7683
An especially nice example of Chinese export porcelain made after designs by Dutch artist Cornelius Pronk, this one rendered in rich Famille Rose enamels with a scene entitled The Doctor’s Visit within a border of fish vignettes and images of waterfowl. One of a small group of designs commissioned by the Dutch East India Company from Pronk – why they thought it was necessary to have Chinese designs drawn by a Dutch artist to be made by Chinese potters and then returned to the Netherlands is still a matter of speculation. Either way, this is a fine example, the quality exemplified by carrying the enameled lattice pattern over to the reverse side of the plate – a understated extra detail that would have added to the cost of the piece. A couple of minor chips to the footrim, otherwise very good condition. Illustrated and discussed in Howard and Ayers’ The Choice of the Private Trader, page 74. Circa 1740.