Porcelain painter: Marie-Victoire Jaquotot (1772-1855).
The story of Procris and Cephalus is a tragic Greek myth about love, jealousy, and a fatal misunderstanding. Cephalus, a mortal prince, was married to Procris, an Athenian princess. Their relationship was frequently tested, often by Cephalus himself. Eos, the goddess of dawn, also fell for Cephalus and briefly abducted him, but he yearned for Procris and was eventually returned. A jealous Procris spied on Cephalus while he was hunting, and he, mistaking her for an animal, accidentally killed her with his spear.
The plate depicts a moment where Procris writes her husband Cephalus’s name as a way to resolve a misunderstanding about his alleged infidelity. While the writing of the name is a specific detail within the larger narrative of their tragic story, it highlights a crucial moment of realization and emotional vulnerability on Procris’s part.