Biography
Rudolf Hentschel began as a drawing pupil at the porcelain manufactory Meissen in 1884 and also trained as an embosser. Having completed his training, he studied painting at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts. In 1894, he was given the opportunity to deepen his studies at the famous Académie Julien in Paris. Between study visits, however, he always returned to the Meissen manufactory. From 1914 he worked as a freelance artist in his home town and from 1920 he was employed again as a teacher at the manufactory's own drawing school. Rudolf's name is more commonly associated with tableware decorations, such as the 'Wing pattern' service, from 1901, with its stylized, threefold fan pattern, one of the best known Art Nouveau motifs to this day. However, vases made in collaboration with his brother Konrad and a few figurative works by him are also known to exist.
