Fisherman And His Fishing Gear - Emile Just Bachelet - Henriot Factory - Brittany

Polychrome earthenware, circa 1930.

Henriot factory.

Émile Just Bachelet (1892-1981):
Émile Just Bachelet studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Nancy until 1912, where he was a student of Jules Larcher for drawing and Ernest Bussières for sculpture. He then studied at the École Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He was among the sculptors who worked extensively on the creation of war memorials at the end of the First World War. From 1920, he exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français. Following the 1925 Exposition des Arts Décoratifs, Émile-Just Bachelet received a gold medal for his collaboration with Henriot. It was through Mathurin Méheut that Bachelet joined the factory. What is less well known is that Émile Just Bachelet and Louis-Henri Nicot were the first artists to enable the Henriot factory to begin producing earthenware statuettes. In Quimper, Bachelet explored religious subjects and depicted scenes of daily life. His collaboration with the Henriot factory spanned from 1924 to 1930, with the majority of the models created in the first two years. However, Bachelet's work extended beyond the Henriot factory. He also worked at the Lunéville potteries, for Mougin in Nancy, for St. Clément, and at the renowned Sèvres Manufactory, where he is listed as a sculptor from 1931 to 1936. Beyond his extensive collaboration with Quimper, Émile-Just Bachelet enjoyed a brilliant national career.