2022 will mark 150 years since the birth of Julius Konrad Hentschel, so we’re taking the opportunity to celebrate the legacy of one of Meissen’s most exceptional designers. Hentschel was one of the most important artists of the Meissen Art Nouveau. His iconic “Hentschel Children,” porcelain figurines depicting children in scenes from everyday life, marked a turning point for Meissen’s small-scale sculptures at the start of the 20th century. It was even earlier than this, in 1896, that Hentschel designed the “Crocus Service” at the tender age of 24. The first notable tableware of this style epoch, his design attracted much attention at the Paris World Exhibition of 1900.

Julius Konrad Hentschel followed in the footsteps of his father and brother to join the Meissen porcelain manufactory. After studying at the manufactory’s school of drawing in 1889 and completing a yearlong apprenticeship as an embosser, he spent two years at the Academy of Art in Munich. With the exception of a study trip to Italy and a two-year teaching position at the Academy of Art in Dresden, Julius Konrad Hentschel worked as an embosser at the Meissen manufactory until his early death in 1907. In honor of his artistic legacy, we are releasing a new edition of his “Hentschel Children” as part of the Limited Masterworks collection as well as a miniature series of some of his most defining figurines.