Hand painting

There are no limits to creativity - that's the motto of porcelain painting! Before we get into the industry-specific definition, let us briefly explain painting in general. The oldest evidence of painting are cave paintings depicting animals from the last Ice Age or the Upper Palaeolithic.

Painting and drawing, but also relief and sculpture, are known as forms of artistic expression from 35,000 to 10,000 years ago. European cave paintings are mainly known from Spain and France. In 1940, murals were discovered in the Lascaux cave in southern France. The animal motifs, cattle, deer and horses are depicted in an impressive manner and are among the oldest known paintings of mankind. Early rock paintings are also known from Africa, Asia and Australia. In the Middle East, there is plenty of evidence of painting from the Neolithic period. The emergence of painted pottery and wall paintings are particularly noteworthy here. Numerous remains of wall paintings were found in Çatalhöyük (present-day Turkey) and date back to around 6000 BC.

Marco Polo probably brought his enthusiasm for porcelain painting with his treasures from Far China. Even the ancient dynasties immortalised their family chronicles and special occasions in porcelain paintings. They mainly used bright colours and real gold. The larger and more elaborate the decoration, the higher the prestige and status of its owner. The paintings from the region around Fushan (southern China) are not only among the oldest decorations, for us they are probably also the most elaborate and beautiful decorations we have ever seen on porcelain. A visit to the National Museum is really worthwhile! Porcelain painting also has a high status and significance in Europe and is inextricably linked to the history of porcelain itself. The colours of the paintings are usually very pronounced and bright, which unfortunately comes at the expense of dishwasher resistance. We could describe the various methods and artistic skills here, but that would miss the point of this page. Let us conclude by saying that Holst Porzellan, as a supplier of white porcelain, is a highly sought-after and good source for porcelain painting!