Ref.10841
Jean-François GECHTER (Att. to) - "Bonaparte crossing the Great Saint Bernard", important patinated bronze sculpture

This important patinated bronze sculpture, representing General Bonaparte crossing the Great-Saint-Bernard, is attributed to the romantic sculptor Théodore Gechter (1796-1844). The general is represented according to tradition, « calme on a fiery horse », although he had crossed the pass on a mule. The prancing animal confers a dynamism to the composition, which is reinforced by the grandiloquent gesture of Bonaparte draped in a loose cloak. The victorious general, with an idealized face, looks at the spectator and shows him the direction to follow, this third political way which he sought to impose between the royalists and the republicans . This beautiful sculpture was executed after the famous painting by Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825). This representation commemorates the victorious passage, in May 1800, of the Great-Saint-Bernard pass by the reserve army under the direction of the First Consul, the first stage of his triumphal reconquest of Italy. With great audacity, Bonaparte played the surprise by crossing a pass, deemed impratical in the spring. He returned to the feat of great captains of the past : Hannibal, passing through the Alps with his elephants in 218 during the Second Punic War, and Charlemagne, in 773, in his fight against Lomabards. Even before the Napoleonic victories, Austerlitz, Jena, Friedland, Wagram, the painting inscribed the name of Bonaparte among those of the greatest conquerors of History. The composition of David, taken up by Théodore Gechter, is an absolute icon, archetype of the representation of the hero of the Revolution, probably the most famous portrait of Napoleon around the world. There are several bronzes edition of this model. The representation of Gechter differs in several points from that of the painter J. L. David. General Bonaparte, realized by Gechter does not look at the spectator but at the ground. This rocky and eventful base underscores the obstacles that General Bonaparte has had to face and thus reinforces his heroic action. It should also be noted that Gechter did not go so far as to inscribe the names of victorious conquerors on the rock, as in the case of David’s painting. We find the fiery movement of the characters in Charles Martel and Abdérame, King of the Saracens, plaster group presented by Gechter at the Salon of 1833. A bronze model, commissionned by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, melted by Gonon is now preserved in the Louvre. The sculptor represents Charles Martel in armor slaying his enemy. The representation of the rider is a pretext for the study of the movement and contortions of the horse. The expression of the warriors pride and this victorious feeling is the sign of a romanticism peculiar of Gechter. The artist has taken great care with the modeling of theses faces, perfectly catching the light. The precision in rendering the details is obvious (the helmet, the crafted brigantine, the chainmails). In addition, Gechter alternates in his compositions rough surfaces, smooth or chiseled throughout the sculpture, precisely as in the Bonaparte crossing the Great-Saint-Bernard. The extraordinary quality of our sculpture, the composition in movement, the precision in the rendering of the details suggest that it is indeed a model of Gechter, executed around 1840. This bronze sculpture is of high quality, by the delicacy of carving, the quality of the details and ornaments, the fiery movement, which are characteristic of Théodore Gechter, a romantic sculptor who particularly liked the modeling of horses.

Ref.11594
Théodore DECK (ceramist) and Anthony Ludovic REGNIER (painter) - Ceramic dish glazed with tiger lily and butterfly on a blue background

This glazed ceramic dish was made in the workshop of the ceramist Théodore Deck (1823-1891) and painted by Anthony Ludovic Régnier (1851-1930) in 1881. It is signed in the decor "A. L. REGNIER" and dated in "1881". In the back, it wears the mark "TH. Deck" ; it is entitled "LIS TIGRE" and bears the number "160". Théodore Deck initially trained as a stove maker. When he set up in Paris on his own account in 1858, he made stove linings and then, on the strength of his success, moved into ceramics. The studio produced many dishes in collaboration with well-known painters, including Anthony Ludovic Régnier. Deck gradually perfected his technique and enjoyed great success at the many World’s Fairs he took part in. In 1878, he was made an Officer of the Légion d'Honneur. He ran the Sèvres factory between 1887 and his death in 1891. Anthony Ludovic Régnier was a prolific artist from the workshop of Théodore Deck, specialising in flower paintings. He is otherwise little known. The painter's mastery is evident in his particularly precise and detailed depiction of the tiger lily, whose flowers are in various stages of bloom. A bindweed flower curls around its stem, adding complexity to the pattern. A butterfly flutters around the lily, as does a small yellow and black striped insect. This work is a fine example of the Japonism that swept through European art from the 1870s until the early years of the 20th century, and which particularly influenced Théodore Deck, a collector of Far Eastern art. The Musée des Arts décoratifs, de la Faïence et de la Mode in Marseille has a dish with daturas and nasturtiums by Deck, decorated by Régnier. The different flowers give the decoration great variety.

Ref.11023
J. VIEILLARD & CIE Manufacture, A rare dish decorated with Koi carp in Japanese style

This superb ornamental dish with a Japanese-style decor of koi carps was executed by the Jules Vieillard & Cie Manufacture in the 1870s. After the death of Jules Vieillard in 1868, the Jules Vieillard & Cie Manufacture, then the third largest ceramic factory in France, passed to his sons, Albert and Charles. The Vieillard brothers then developed new designs and shapes, launching a production of artistic faience intended to decorate the finest interiors.

Ref.14083
Imaginary views of Paris in the 16th century: two paintings on porcelain by Alphonse CHAIGNON

Signed and dated 1882, these two circular-shaped porcelain paintings are the work of the painter Alphonse Chaignon. Trained by Jean-Hilaire Belloc, then a student of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, Chaignon is known for his urban views idealizing the past, in particular medieval and Renaissance Paris. In the work we present on the left, the flamboyant Gothic bell tower of the Saint-Jacques Tower (completed in 1523) is identifiable. We can also see the sign of a tavern, “Au Lion d’Or”, indicating refined cuisine. If the costumes clearly evoke the Renaissance, the city is still immersed in a medieval atmosphere. The half-timbered houses, the Gothic ornaments, the centuries-old activities of women reflect Chaignon's archaeological passion. Certain details, such as the woman carrying a jug, demonstrate the influence of Italian painting on Chaignon. The medieval and Renaissance past fascinates many writers (Victor Hugo), architects (Viollet-Le-Duc) and artists (Jules Adeline, Alphonse Chaignon, Albert Robida) of the 19th century. The 1900 Universal Exhibition celebrated this imagination by offering a reconstruction of Paris in the Middle Ages.

Ref.11997
Clément MASSIER, Allegory of Dante, glazed ceramic dish with iridescent glaze

This ornamental dish entitled "Allegory of Dante" was created by Clément Massier around 1900. Clément Massier trained under his father and one of his workers, Gaetano Gandolfi. He settled in Golfe-Juan, near Vallauris, with his brother Delphin, in 1883. This plate with a symbolist design reveals his mastery of iridescent (or metallic luster) glazed ceramics, for which he was awarded a gold medal at the 1889 Exposition Universelle. It features variations in blue, gray, and pink tones. The silhouettes of Dante and Virgil, his guide in hell, barely stand out against a desolate landscape evoking hell as described by the author in his Divine Comedy. The figures are on the edge of a precipice; they are likely standing before the frozen lake in which Lucifer is trapped, at the lowest point of hell. The work is signed under the base; the inscription specifies that it was made in Golfe-Juan. Clément Massier also created a plate in iridescent glazed earthenware depicting Dante contemplating the sea. Its iridescent decor in blue, pink, and purple tones also results in a depiction filled with mystery and poetry.