Portrait of Hieronymus Holtschuer by Albrecht Dürer

Country: Netherlands

Manufacture: Delfts

Date of establishment: first half of the twentieth century

Diameter (cm): 55

PORCELAIN STORY

I found this huge Dutch plate at the famous antique market in the very center of Berlin, near Alexanderplatz. An old merchant selling it at an exorbitant price said it was a self-portrait by the brilliant Renaissance painter Albrecht Dürer. The same Dürer who, as one of the 18 children of a Nuremberg jeweler, managed to master the art of painting so perfectly that he was recognized as a favorite of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, who became his rich and influential patron. The same Dürer who, at the age of 13, painted his first self-portrait, considered the earliest self-portrait of a European master to survive to this day. The same Dürer whose famous paintings now adorn the walls of the world's most famous art galleries and museums.

But only mistaken Berlin seller of antiques. On the incredibly beautiful product, created by the legendary Dutch manufactory, depicts not himself Albrecht Durer. It is a portrait of Hieronymus Holtshuer (1526), painted by him, which is kept in the art gallery of the German capital. However, it does not affect the value of the porcelain work in any way.

Now the unique plate brought from Berlin hangs in our museum above "Christina's Corner". This place - contrary to all museum traditions - was created so that visitors could touch (!) museum exhibits with their own hands. The impetus for this idea was the story of Christina, a girl from Kiev, who began to lose her eyesight early because of a severe disease. Ukrainian doctors failed to save one eye. And then, with the help of the Klitschko brothers' charitable foundation, Christina and her mother went to Germany. Dozens of operations performed there allowed her to see with one more eye for a long time. But the disease was stronger. Completely blinded, Christina continues to work as a masseur, to be a completely self-sufficient person. Moreover, her support is felt by many internally displaced people from Ukraine, whom Christina constantly helps with the paperwork necessary to live in Berlin.

"Christina's Corner" in our museum will be a place where visitors, primarily visually impaired or completely blind, and not only visually impaired, but everyone, will be able to touch porcelain products and feel the amazing energy put by sculptors and artists in their works. Many of those who have had the opportunity to touch handmade porcelain works, can confirm how healing (in the full sense of the word) can be this amazingly fragile and delicate material to restore mental balance and peace, so necessary for people who have experienced severe shocks.

There is such a good German saying - "The sun shines everywhere to a contented heart". Maybe our museum of porcelain figures will become a source of peace for many hearts broken by war and grief. I would like to believe that very much.