Sèvres Then and Now: Tradition and Innovation in Porcelain, 1750?2000 showcases the longstanding achievements of the French porcelain factory, in particular its unparalleled invention and creativity over three centuries, featuring over 85 ceramics from the Hillwood Museum and other collections. Three essays, illustrated by exhibits, are devoted to the innovations in both the production and design of ceramics at the Sèvres factory from the 1750s to the early years of the 21st century. The opening section explores the beginnings of the factory in the 18th century, production under royal patronage and the changes brought about by the French Revolution. The 19th-century section examines the classicizing period of the First Empire and the Restoration, the historicist style of the Second Empire and closes with Impressionist and Art Nouveau ceramics. The 20th- and 21st- century essay considers showcase Art Deco pieces, modern era productions of the 1950's and 60's, and the contemporary studio wares of Adrien Saxe, Richard Peduzzi and Cindy Sherman. AUTHOR: Liana Paredes is senior curator of Western European Art at Hillwood Museum oGardens in Washington, D.C. She is the author of French Furniture from the Collection of the Hillwood Museum and Gardens (2002) and co-author of A Taste for Splendor: Russian Imperial and European Treasures from the Hillwood Museum (1999) ILLUSTRATIONS 240 colour *
