Attributed to the Choisy le Roi factory, late 19th century, - Lot 454

Attributed to the Choisy le Roi factory, late 19th century, after a model by Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (1824-1887) Bust of bacchante Glazed earthenware Signed "A CARRIER BELLEUSE" on the back Inscribed "9004 7/12 ORD 95" on the inside H. 45 cm Accidents and missing pieces to the crown of vines S&C A true entrepreneur and experimenter, the sculptor Carrier-Belleuse, nicknamed the "Clodion of the Second Empire", embraced the industrial revolution from the beginning of his career and adapted to the technological developments that transformed the art of sculpture in the second half of the 19th century. In particular, in 1850 he responded to the call of British industry in the midst of a promotional campaign and became both a modeler for the Minton factory and a drawing teacher. He also provided many models to other factories in England and France. This experience allowed him to become familiar with the manufacture of ceramics. In 1876 he was appointed director of the national porcelain factory in Sevres. However another manufacture which knew a great success at the end of the century diffuses a great number of its models in earthenware: the manufacture of Choisy le Roi. This earthenware factory knows a real success at the time of its catch in hand by Hippolyte Boulenger in 1863. By introducing a process imported from England that imitated Chinese porcelain and by renewing the creations of the factory, the new director allowed the Choisy-le-Roi earthenware to be recognized internationally. Carrier-Belleuse's own son, Louis-Robert (1848- 1913) became the artistic director from 1890 to 1895. Interested in the industrial arts from an early age, Louis-Robert worked with his father at the Sèvres factory before being trained by the famous ceramist Théodore Deck. He was also the supplier of many models and the director of the production policy of the factory. He had works made after the models of his father who died in 1887. We recognize here one of the artist's favourite models, a bust of a young woman with a hairstyle richly decorated with pampers, which was distributed, with variations, in marble as well as in terra cotta. It could be that our glazed earthenware copy was made by this factory of Choisy -Le- Roi, edited in 12 copies (here n°7) and dated of 1895.