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by Marshall P. Katz © 1997 |
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Platter, Charles-Jean
Avisseau, signed "Avisseau"
with incised monogram, 20 in. L x 16 1/4 in.W, ca. 1850, Tours, France. |
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Slinking lizards, scaly fish, and slithering snakes
in a naturalistic setting known as figulines rustiques, rustic ware, or
Palissy ware are the hallmark of Bernard Palissy, the remarkable sixteenth-century
French ceramist. It is little wonder the Palissy tradition would endure,
culminating in the mid-nineteenth-century revivalist movement in France
that would last more than fifty years. In recogniton of the great Renaissance
potter, the Bernard Palissy room in the Richelieu wing of the Louvre Museum
in Paris is filled with ceramics attributed to his workshop. Ironically,
Palissy's Parisian atelier was uncovered during the excavation of the
Louvre for the new wing in 1985. BERNARD PALISSY A true Renaissance man,
Bernard Palissy (c.1510-1590), was an artisan to the royal family, a writer,
scientist, savant, lecturer and religionist. Yet he is celebrated for
his ceramics, and for the development of lead-based, enamelled earthenware
(faience) which three centuries later energized the creation and popularization
of Majolica. The exact birthplace
of Palissy is uncertain, but is believed by some historians to be the
small hamlet of La Chapelle-Biron located in southwestern France about
100 miles from the city of Bordeaux. Around 1540 he moved to Saintes (65
miles north of Bordeaux), married and set up shop as a portrait painter.
Once shown an earthenware cup (probably of Italian origin), he was so
captivated by the beauty of its glaze that he decided to devote his time
exclusively to the discovery of enamelling, despite having no previous
knowledge of ceramics. Over a long period of
nearly fifteen years, with intervening time to earn a meager living as
a painter, Palissy succeeded in creating brilliant enamels surpassing
all previous examples. So possessed was Palissy with his work that in
order to keep his oven heated continuously for six days and nights, he
actually used his own household furniture and floorboards to fuel the
flames. Many considered him at the time to be crazy; nevertheless, as
Palissy's work improved, his fame spread. Around 1565, he moved to Paris
to work on a commission for Catherine de Medici to design and build a
rustic grotto for the queen mother's Palace of the Tuileries near the
Louvre. Although the palace was never completed, fragments from the actual
grotto (which was installed) were found, and are displayed in museums
in and around Paris. During the next twenty
years, Palissy pursued scientific research in many areas including agriculture,
mineral exploration, forging, geologic phenomena, petrification, paleontology
and geothermy. He often lectured on a multiplicity of subjects in science
and philosophy. His protection by Catherine
de Medici ended in 1585 owing to his continued participation in the Protestant
Reformation which he had embraced years earlier. In 1588, Palissy was
interned in the Bastille, but offered his freedom by Henry III to convert
to Catholicism. He refused, and two years later died from starvation and
disease. THE SCHOOL
OF TOURS The rediscovery of Palissy's
lead-based enamels did not occur until nearly two-hundred-and-fifty years
after his death when a middle-aged ceramic artist in Tours, Charles-Jean
Avisseau (1795-1861), was to resurrect Palissy's name and work. Avisseau,
son of a stonemason, began his career apprenticing with his father. Later,
he joined a Tours pottery where he learned the art of ceramics, painting
and sculpture. After working at other ceramic factories, in 1825, he was
hired to supervise the ceramic works of the Baron de Bésenval. Once during a visit
to the Baron's home, Avisseau was shown a ceramic attributed to Bernard
Palissy, and like Palissy was so enthralled by its brilliant enamel and
delicate workmanship, that four years later he would decide to devote
his life to the rediscovery of Palissy's secrets. For more than fifteen
years, he researched the chemistry and fusion of leaded enamels to recreate
and then surpass the work of "Master Bernard". During this period, he
supported his family primarily by making religious statues from terra-cotta
as well as decorative pieces for nearby estates and parks. At last around
the age of forty-nine, Avisseau succeeded in his quest to emulate and
surpass his famous predecessor. His most renowned work, a seven-foot-high,
multi-tiered comfit dish, was executed in 1847 for Princess Mathilde,
sister of Emperor Napoleon III. It can be seen today at the Museum of
Fine Arts in Tours. His fame was further enhanced when his work was exhibited
at the Great Universal Exhibition of London in 1851 as well as in the
1849 and 1855 exhibitions in Paris. Avisseau's reputation
had spread beyond the borders of France. His works including clocks, fountains,
dishes, candlesticks, fish baskets and mirror frames were sought by wealthy
collectors, statesmen, aristocrats and museum curators. Some even served
as diplomatic gifts. Despite the help of his children who apprenticed
in the family workshop, his output remained limited. His works often took
from several months to two years to complete, a richly decorated platter
costing nearly two month's salary of the average French worker. The success and reputation
of Charles-Jean Avisseau, and his willingness to share his knowledge with
others attracted a number of ceramists. Joseph Landais (1800-1883), son
of a Touraine gamekeeper, left his family while quite young to work in
an earthenware factory. He became friendly with Avisseau and married his
sister, Anne-Françoise, in 1822. Landais had considerable skills as a
potter and painter as well as a nature lover. In 1843, he joined Avisseau's
workshop for a few months, thereafter establishing his own shop claiming
that he, not Avisseau, had rediscovered Palissy's secrets. The feud continued
during Avisseau's life. In 1846, Landais wrote the Prefect of Tours (unsuccessfully)
declaring that it was he who had conducted all of the experiments leading
to the great rediscovery. Landais' works were also exhibited at the 1851
Great Universal Exhibition of London and received a meritorious award.
Landais survived Avisseau by twenty-two years (Avisseau died in 1861)
and produced a variety of items including vases, platters, plates, pitchers,
mirrors, urns and a number of monumental works. One of these, a large,
magnificently and profusely decorated mirror hangs today in the Museum
of Fine Arts in Tours. Léon Brard (1830-1902),
born in the northern French town of Caen, a painter of marine still lifes,
moved to Paris as a teenager. He met with success and exhibited in the
Salon of 1849. A man of many talents, he was also a songwriter and cabaret
singer. He became impassioned by ceramics and experimented with different
clays and glazes during his approximate ten years in Paris, producing
a variety of plates, plaques and platters. In 1859, Brard met Avisseau
during a visit to Tours, moved there, and became a frequent visitor to
the master's workshop while employed at a local pottery. Two years later,
upon the death of Avisseau, Brard opened his own shop. His style was both
artistic and original - his hallmark - trompe l'oeil works on white faience
surrounded by a cobalt blue border in the style of Rouen. At first glance,
these works appear to be an artful presentation of fresh fish as might
be served in the finest three-star restaurant. For many years, Brard
achieved great recognition later establishing a workshop for ceramic students.
He continued to paint still lifes and trompe l'oeil, but this activity
gradually diminished with age. In addition, he also produced rustic platters
on colorful backgrounds, both in faience and stoneware. The School of Tours
comprise the works of many other skilled artists as well. Among these
are Auguste-François Chauvigné (1829-1904), his son, Auguste-Alexandre
Chauvigné (1855-1929), Louis Tinier (fl.c.1890-1900), Carré de Busserole
(1823-1909), Octave Denlau (1839-1908), and Georges Delperier (1865-1936).
In addition, the tradition of Avisseau and Landais was carried on by their
progeny, Edouard Avisseau (1831-1911), Caroline Avisseau (1820-?), Edouard-Léon
Deschamps-Avisseau (1844-1910), Charles-Joseph Landais (1829-1908), and
Alexandre-Joseph Landais (1860-1912). About 140 examples of
these School of Tours works are contained in the collection of the Museum
of Fine Arts in Tours, of which forty are on permanent display. THE SCHOOL
OF PARIS The reputation of Avisseau
and the School of Tours encouraged other ceramists to emulate their success.
The first of these, Victor Barbizet (c.1805-c.1870), a merchant in Dijon,
established a pottery workshop with his brother-in-law, Claude Ponet,
to produce household ceramics. Around 1850, together with Barbizet's son,
Achille, they moved to Paris and began to mass-produce rustic ware. Over
a period of about thirty years, the firm became very successful employing
approximately sixty workers at its peak. Victor Barbizet is generally
credited with founding the School of Paris. The most famous potter
from the School of Paris, Georges Pull (1810-1889), a former soldier and
naturalist, was born in Wissembourg, Alsace. He moved to Paris and operated
his first kiln in 1856 at the age of forty-six on the rue de Vaugirard
which later became the Parisian center for ceramic production. The talented
and gifted Pull studied assiduously and apprenticed four years perfecting
his skills. From 1860 to 1867, he produced magnificent work with brilliant
enamels and was called by one journalist, "the King of Pottery." Inspired by Georges
Pull, Thomas-Victor Sergent (fl.c.1870-1880), a Parisian ceramist, opened
his own shop and produced works in the Avisseau tradition. It is likely
that Sergent was familiar with the Vaugirard workshops as his enamels
were nearly as brilliant as Pull's. He is best known for his platters
and plates featuring nearly life-size crustaceans in a varied color palette. François Maurice (fl.c.1875-1885),
a lesser known artist preferred more serene compositions using molded
fish and crayfish on a cobalt blue background. His works employ modest
hand-finishing imparting minimal detail to their subjects. THE INDEPENDENTS Alfred Renoleau (1854-1930),
lived and worked in and near the town of Angoulême in western France.
His factory flourished for nearly four decades and employed up to forty
workers. During the earlier part of Renoleau's life, he worked with his
father as a hairdresser, but like his precursor, Charles-Jean Avisseau,
he was smitten by the works of Bernard Palissy (during a visit to a pottery
show in Bordeaux). At night the young Renoleau practiced his ceramic art
using a homemade kiln in the attic of his house. Later, he persuaded his
father to let him work for one year in a nearby pottery, and promised
to return if the craft disappointed him. He never returned to the hair
salon and devoted his total energies to ceramics. His earlier pieces (c.1878-1889)
are often signed Falder, an anagram of his first name. In 1889, he moved
to nearby Roumazières at the Polakowski and Company factory where he produced
some of his finest work. In 1891, he opened a small factory in Angoulême,
but later moved to larger quarters nearby employing about forty workers. Three other important
independents are noteworthy. Jules Lesme (fl.c.1850-1860), from Limoges
mastered the art of lead oxide enamelling on porcelain for which he received
a patent in 1853. He is the only known ceramist to have produced rustic
porcelain ware. The Gambut brothers, Jean-Baptiste (1829-1887) and Emile
(1838-?) from Beaune (in Burgundy) flourished during the 1860s and 1870s.
Their rustic styles were somewhat similar, but Emile was the better known
for his thick glazes of monochromatic greens and earthtones. COLLECTING For the inquiring collector,
it is becoming much easier to pursue the hobby in the United States. There
are two English language books available on the subject and several magazine
articles. Antique dealers around the country, usually those specializing
in Majolica, generally carry a few pieces. Ironically, the largest dealer
of these works in the world is located in New Orleans. French Palissy ware
is also beginning to appear in Majolica auctions in the U.S. though most
are held in England and France. Occasionally, pieces are found in country
sales and large antique shows, but most are sold by full time dealers.
They are worth the hunt. Each is handmade, most were produced one-at-a-time
by a single ceramist, many are signed, each is unique, and the degree
of craftsmanship often exceeds the finest works produced today. PRICING Prices are not inexpensive,
yet some are considerable bargains compared to comparable ceramics from
the same era. For example, small works ranging in size from two to three
inches cost between $150 to $300 depending upon condition and maker. The
most common were made by Thomas-Victor Sergent (stamped T.S, or unsigned).
These include small goblets, cache-pots and bud vases. Larger versions
measuring about six inches cost approximately double. Medium size plates
of eight to ten inches diameter cost $1000 to $2500 by such makers as
Barbizet (unsigned), Sergent (signed T.S, full name or unsigned), Maurice
(signed F. Maurice or unsigned), Pull (signed Pull), Gambut (signed Gambut
or unsigned) and Renoleau (signed AR or A.Renoleau). Similar works by
Avisseau (signed Avisseau and/or AV monogram), Landais (signed Landais
and/or JL monogram or unsigned) and Brard (signed Brard or unsigned) start
at $3000 or more. Works ranging in size from twelve to eighteen inches
cost between $2500 to $5000 by the artists in the first category, and
$4000 to $6000 in the second grouping. Objects of twenty inches or more
are priced accordingly, the larger and more accomplished the artist, the
more expensive. |
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