During the early years of the Count of Aranda’s Royal Factory, it produced goods based on models manufactured in the south of France (mainly Moustiers and Marseilles), the places of origin of the factory’s first artistic directors. This ensured that the goods’ shapes and ornamentation fitted in with the preferences of the European aristocracy and bourgeoisie, Alcora’s main target markets.
Styles like Bérain (with lace edging, arabesques, busts and sphinxes, generally in blue chiaroscuro but also sometimes with a slight touch of colour) or chinoiserie (characterized by an abundance of plant motifs, Oriental figures or grotesques) demonstrate the exquisite delicacy and perfection of the Royal Factory’s painters, right from its very beginnings. On this page, two outstanding items from the museum collection can be seen: the lid of a wall fontaine with Bérain-style décor, signed by Francisco Grangel, and a round dish with chinoiserie décor and a metallic lustre, a decorative technique rarely used in Alcora which gives the dish an eye-catching copper-coloured sheen.
