SVV Thierry de Maigret, Pre-Columbian Art - Archaeology Asian Arts - European Ceramics, lot 300, Paris, sold on Wednesday, December 9, 2020.
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Set of six medallions in glazed earthenware, representing the four seasons, Venus and Comus, each presented in an oval painted wooden frame. The allegories of the seasons are identifiable by their attributes - flowers, foliage, fruits and ears of corn - as well as the zodiac signs that appear on the ribbons in the background. The figures, treated in profile and in the antique style, stand out against a rich deep blue glaze.
The delicacy of the drawing, the quality of the modeling and the pictorial treatment of the figures relate this set to the allegorical busts of the seasons made by Auguste Jean during the same period. Through its iconography and decorative treatment, it is part of the 19th-century taste for the rediscovery of Italian majolica, without, however, seeking to faithfully reproduce ancient models. The presentation in wooden frames also recalls the preferred mode of presentation for certain majolica and art earthenware at the time.
The presence, on the reverse of each medallion, of Auguste Jean's signature as well as those of Brocard Frères and Jules Loebnitz allows the set to be dated to the early 1860s, when Auguste Jean was still working mainly as a ceramic painter on supports manufactured by other houses.
Condition: Good condition.
Signature: Signed "Jean" on the reverse of each medallion. Other marks present: "Jules Lobentiz" and "Brocard Frères".
