LONDON.- Sir John Soane’s Museum is currently presenting Visions in Porcelain: A Rake’s Progress, a set of eight newly made vases inspired by William Hogarth’s series, A Rakes Progress. Created by London-based, Dutch artist Bouke de Vries, the eight ceramic vases are showcased in the Foyle Space and mirror the eight paintings in Hogarth’s famous work, housed in the Soane Museum’s celebrated Picture Room.

Hogarth’s A Rake’s Progress follows the swift demise of Tom Rakewell, the heir of a rich merchant who squanders his inherited wealth, leading to his ruin and ultimately, madness. Visions in Porcelain begins with an immaculate celadon vase, representing the promise of Hogarth’s youthful subject. De Vries proceeds to explore the painting’s inherent theme of degradation through the ever-darkening palate of increasingly fractured vases. The result is a succession of cracked, slumped and eventually imploding vessels whose compromised state can not be prevented, even through the artful employment of the artist’s increasingly drastic methods of restoration.

Throughout his career, de Vries has explored the themes of fragility and deconstructed beauty. Having trained as a restorer, he is known for working with broken historical pieces, expanding them to carefully ‘exploded’ assemblages.

A specially commissioned film accompanies the exhibition. This film features insights from the Soane’s curatorial team into the connections between de Vries’ work and Hogarth’s series, as well as an interview with the artist and independent curator and writer Kathleen Soriano.

Visions in Porcelain: A Rake’s Progress opens alongside Architects’ Houses, celebrating five London houses, all of which, like the Soane Museum, have been designed by the architects who lived – and in some cases still live – in them. The featured houses are designed by five major figures from the history of British Architecture.

Bouke de Vries said: “I first visited the Sir John Soane’s Museum almost 40 years ago and have long been inspired by the works of Hogarth. A Rake’s Progress is a captivating series and appeals to me due to its satirical and dark narrative. It has been a pleasure to reimagine this tale of woe in porcelain, displaying it only feet away from Hogarth’s original paintings.”

Bruce Boucher, Deborah Loeb Brice Director of Sir John Soane’s Museum, said “Hogarth’s A Rake’s Progress has long been a focal point of the collection of Sir John Soane’s Museum. By presenting Hogarth’s narrative through his handsomely designed celadon vases, Bouke de Vries brings new perspectives and interpretation to this historic series. To see the work continue to inspire artists today goes to the heart of what John Soane envisaged for his collection.”

Bouke de Vries

Originally working in fashion before retraining as as a restorer, de Vries began creating his works of art in 2008. He has since gained a significant following and now has work in an impressive range of international public collections, including the National Museum of Scotland, the National Museum of Art, Architecture, and Design, Oslo, Norway and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, USA.

De Vries sees an inherent value in the discarded objects he reinvents, giving a new lease of life to a broad spectrum of ceramics otherwise destined to be thrown away. His pieces are often humorous, sometimes shocking, but always reinvent significant, yet damaged, historical materials, whilst adding unexpected twists to their ongoing narrative.

Adrian Sassoon Gallery

Established in 1994, Adrian Sassoon is the UK’s leading gallery for international contemporary works of art. The gallery presents innovative and highly skilled artists working across a range of mediums including ceramics, metal, and glass. For almost 30 years Adrian Sassoon has strategically promoted artists through major solo shows both in the UK and internationally as well as exhibiting at the world’s most prestigious art fairs. Adrian Sassoon also works closely with museums and private collections to place works of art in their collections. Notable institutions who have purchased our artists’ works include: The British Museum, London; The Victoria and Albert Museum, London; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois; Musée national des arts asiatiques-Guimet, Paris; Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, The Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Japan, amongst others.

Sir John Soane’s Museum
Visions in Porcelain: A Rake’s Progress
June 7th, 2023 - September 10th, 2023