Lachenal & Daillion

Signed on the right side “E. LACHENAL ceramist” and on the left side “DAILLION, Sculptor.” The collaboration between Horace Daillion and Edmond Lachenal aimed to transpose sculpted works into the realm of ceramics, through art editions produced in very limited runs. At the dawn of the 20th century, Lachenal enjoyed exceptional renown, both for the precision of his modeling and the originality of his glazes. His technical expertise made him the preferred partner of the greatest sculptors of his time: in addition to Daillion (from 1895), he lent his skills to Auguste Rodin, Agnès de Frumerie, Ferdinand Faivre, Luca Madrassi, and Max Blondat. It was as an alchemist ceramist that Edmond Lachenal left his mark on the history of French Art Nouveau. Trained for ten years by Théodore Deck, where he became head of the workshop, he founded his own factory in 1880. His fame rests primarily on his genius with enamels. He developed a revolutionary "velvety matte" enamel. Unlike traditional matte enamels applied before firing, Lachenal immersed his finished pieces in a bath of hydrofluoric acid. This chemical process eroded the enamel's superficial shine to reveal an ethereal, soft texture, giving the sculpture a more subtle and elegant dimension than the productions of the Arts & Crafts movement. The face of our young woman, with her eyes closed, is captured in an expression of introspective serenity. Her face, with its exquisitely delicate features, is framed by flowing, gracefully sculpted hair. She wears a thin sky-blue headband tied behind her head, adorned with gilt cabochons and white pearls, adding a touch of delicate preciousness to the whole. This piece is distinguished by its velvety matte glaze, giving the surface a soft, delicate texture that absorbs light rather than reflecting it. True to Lachenal's practice, this work was produced in a very limited edition, affirming its status as an exceptional work of art. Bibliography: In Colors: Polychrome Sculpture in France, 1850-1910, Paris, 2018. Cited on page 206.