Offered by Franck Baptiste Paris
Important corner fountain to suspend out of earthenware made up of the body with its lid and its console of support in cul-de-lampe.
Rocaille model in the shape of a coloquint with a petit feu* decoration.
The three-register body, separated by acanthus clasps, presents maritime scenes taking place at the bottom of a cove.
On the left, a fisherman with his rod and basket returns home accompanied by his dog; while on the right, a man helps a woman off her boat.
The central part presents a scene "to the Levantine merchants", after the works of Jean-Baptiste Pillemment (1728-1808). It takes place in the garden of an important property overlooking the cove. A dozen richly dressed characters, including two Turkish merchants, contemplate the large fountain treated in grisaille.
A peacefully sleeping shepherd and his flock contrast with the bustle of the small group.
Garlands of fruit and polychrome flowers in high relief separate the three registers.
Two swans perched on the jambs stick out their necks to contemplate the scene.
In the lower part, a bronze dolphin's head surmounted by a tap serves as a spillway.
The lid features a large bouquet of flowers and a beautiful "Vulcan" butterfly.
It is topped with a pear tree branch, interlaced with two beautiful roses, which imitates the stem of a coloquint.
The console, made of acanthus clasps, also has a beautiful floral decoration, in which a bee is gathering.
The reverse side of the lid and the console are decorated in green monochrome with creeping plants.
Label of the Lacroix Collection and label of the exhibition of 1932 “Retrospective of the French earthenware" in the Museum of Decorative Arts of Paris.
Good condition, the lid and the two swan necks restored.
Earthenware factory of Gaspard Robert (1722-1799), Marseille Louis XV period, circa 1760.
Dimensions :
Body ; Height : 60 cm ; Depth : 35 cm per side
Console ; Height : 25 cm ; Depth: 30 cm per side
Total height : 85 cm
Bibliography :
Very nice article by Francis Hernandez, on the site of the Academy of Moustiers, relating the discovery of an exceptional fountain.
Petit feu* : There are two types of painted decoration : grand feu and petit feu. In the second case, the colors are applied in the form of enamels on a previously fired enamel, before being fixed in a third firing, called low fire. The color adheres to the enamel surface thanks to the vitrifiable component of the enamels. A nuanced polychromy, including purple tones, can only be achieved in low-fire.
The earthenware of the Gaspard Robert factory :
In 1750, Joseph Gaspard Robert (1722-1799) founded his factory in Marseille.
He produces a quality earthenware with decorations such as the landscapes in miniature, the decoration with the connected bird, the shepherdess, the dead bird, the fish and the ear, the mussel, the nest of bird, the houlette, the double arrow, etc.
The pieces are sometimes gilded, which is rare for earthenware.
His apprentice Antoine Bonnefoy will make Louis XVI style decorations from 1777.
From 1776 to 1793, he joined forces with the German porcelain maker Jean-Jacob Dortu and later with the Count of Provence to produce hard porcelain. It is not very transparent, has a gray glaze and is poorly glazed.
Our view :
These fountains were used to wash the hands before the meals and were positioned in the great salons of the nobility.
Our example perfectly represents the magnificence of Provençal decorative arts.
The exuberant rocaille form, the vivid polychromy, but also the attributes of peasant life such as fishing, pastoralism, fruit harvesting and maritime trade perfectly symbolize the Phocéenne city.
Given the exorbitant price of this type of piece, it's easy to imagine our fountain in the bastide of an opulent Marseille merchant enriched by trade with the Orient.
