Composition With Apples And A Fish Vase, Signed Zwiller

Original still life with this fish-shaped vase, probably a carp. This object, a fish-shaped water jug, was initiated and popularized by Dartmouth Pottery and then disseminated from 1870 onwards by the British company Thomas Forester & Sons. The subject was widely adopted by several French earthenware manufacturers at the beginning of the 20th century. This piece lends a strong originality to our composition, serving as a decorative element to highlight the apples placed in the foreground at the base of the jug. Oil on canvas mounted on panel. Signed upper right. Beautiful gilt frame. Dimensions with frame: 67.5 x 49.5 cm. Image dimensions: 52 x 35.5 cm. Auguste Zwiller was born in Didenheim, a small village in Alsace near Mulhouse, in 1850 and died in 1938 in Neuilly-sur-Seine. His given name was actually Marie Augustin. He studied under G. Boulanger and J. Lefebvre at the Académie Julian. He exhibited regularly at the Salon des A French artist from 1882 onwards, he received numerous awards, including the Bronze Medal at the 1900 Universal Exhibition. He exhibited at the salons of the Société des Amis des Arts in Strasbourg and the Friends of the Arts in Mulhouse. After settling in Neuilly, he pursued a Parisian career, specializing in nudes, but above all recognized as a portraitist of the highest caliber, awarded the Bonnat Prize in 1937. He was named a Knight of the Legion of Honor. His works are held in the Musée d'Orsay, the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Mulhouse, the Musée Sundgauvien in Altkirch, the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Strasbourg, and the Musée Théodore Deck in Guebwiller.