Starting June 16, PANEUM presents an extraordinary Object of the Month: the porcelain figure of the famous court jester Joseph Fröhlich from the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory. Until June 15, you can still visit our Galvano special exhibition – don’t miss it!

Joseph Fröhlich (1694–1757) was born in Altaussee, Styria, the son of a traveling merchant and a miller’s daughter. He spent his childhood in his grandfather’s mill and initially learned the miller’s trade. During his travels, Fröhlich discovered his passion for sleight-of-hand tricks and eventually arrived at the Saxon court in Dresden in 1725. There, he entertained with magic, coarse humor, and satirical verses.

Two years later, Fröhlich entered the service of Augustus the Strong and quickly won the favor of the “Sun King of the North.” Together with Gottfried Schmiedel, with whom he shared a partnership of nearly thirty years, he served as court jester. After a disrespectful act, both were placed under house arrest and forbidden to accompany the king to his hunting lodge at Moritzburg. Fröhlich managed to outwit the guards and surprised the king with a jester’s performance atop a ladder over the castle wall. Augustus the Strong was so amused that he had stone busts of the two made, which still exist at Moritzburg Castle today.

He also commissioned Johann Joachim Kaendler to create a porcelain figure of Fröhlich, depicting him alongside the symbols of folly—a small monkey—and wisdom—an owl. This unique artwork from the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory, created around 1735, will be on display at PANEUM from mid-June.

Take the opportunity to visit our Galvano special exhibition until June 15—afterwards, the new Object of the Month awaits you!