Alchemy
"Alchemy" intends to reveal little secrets and make porcelain production processes visible. For "Painter's Notes" – a range of variously sized plates and shapes – Nymphenburg searched through its studio and workshop stocks and chose sketch-like details that the porcelain painters then recombined on each one-off plate: pigment numbers from the paint laboratory and even painters' notes, for instance, about the recommended firing temperature. These are supplemented by the artists' initials, which are usually only to be found on the base of the pieces. "Colour tests" on the edge of the plates illustrate how pigments are used to develop the different shades of colours. Depending on how the paint was mixed, how thickly it was applied and which tool was used to do so, the colour appears in various intensities. By drawing on their knowledge and experience, Nymphenburg's painters are able to realise around 15,000 nuances.