Posted 10 years ago
VioletOrange
(150 items)
Brown enamelled stoneware. 9" wide by 11" long by 4" high. Inscribed artist's cipher and also the initials "AM" for André Minil. Circa 1900. As with my last post, Abbé Pierre Pacton, was also a member of the School of Carriès "Ecole de Carriès". Click on photos to enlarge, see better detail.
Parish priest turned master potter, Pacton (1856-1938) lived in the town of Arquian, in the heart of one of the most important pottery areas in France.
Pacton was among a number of notable artists who were greatly inspired by the magnificent creations of Carriés (1855-1894).
Pacton created remarkable organic forms, favoring a restricted palette of earthy colors like brown, beige, ochre, and green. Some of his work featured zoomorphic forms, such as monstrous fish, monkeys, lizards, and frogs.
Pacton produced little and was the only member of the Ecole de Carriès who never participated in exhibitions, preferring to offer his creations to collectors who visited the small museum in his presbytery.
André Minil (1883 – 1961) was a friend of Pacton, a collaborator on carved pieces and a carpenter by trade.
This example may have drawn inspiration from the horror masks of Jean Carriés (see last photo). Carriés was hard at work on his unfinished masterpiece, “Monumental Door”, when he died. When finished, it would have been a giant door sculpted with endless grotesque faces and misshapen figures. It was commissioned by the prince/princess of Scey-Montbéliard, French royalty - I believe.
Carriés may himself have been inspired by the work of Franz Xaver Messerschmidt (1736 – 1783). Messerschmidt, once assistant professor of sculpture at the Imperial Academy of Vienna, was also described as a necromancer/occultist and a recluse (see last photo).
STUNNING!!!!
Thank you SEAN68
your very welcome VioletOrange!!
"Grotesque"? Looks like what I saw in the mirror Sunday morning. Or was that afternoon? Luv it!
blunderbuss2, must have been some Saturday night!!
Well, next Sat. is my birthday & I will probably look the same Sunday morning!
Love it as Art.............and scared of it for Home Decor.....LOL
Sensational!
I love the work of Carriés and this one reminds me a lot of it!!! great piece!
Thank you antiquerose, racer4four and austrohungaro
OK, now you really have my attention! Where on Earth? I just want to kick myself for missing it. BTW - that artist cypher is very similar to the type that Delaherche used during his "hands on" period (circa 1903-1910).
cogito,
You didn't miss it - unless you have a time machine. Got it 20 years ago in NYC.
Enjoyed your earlier Delaherche post.
Ernie
Wonderful!!..Love it!...:-)
That explains it, Ernie. BTW - if you are on Facebook, look up our "Art Nouveau Ceramiques" group. We have a members only healthy group across the globe talking and posting only about Art Nouveau ceramics. Your pieces and experience would be most welcome. Same goes for others interested in collecting these sorts of ceramics.
cogito,
Great Facebook group. I will watch regularly and would be happy to post.
Oh yes this is fantastic as well.
Thanks Penny & fledermaus
very interesting post and I am attonished by your knowledge
Thank you kivatinitz
Beautiful piece !!!
Well done
Looks like the depictions of the devil. Very neat.