Jean Lurçat , Oval Dish With Fish And Foliage, Circa 1955-1965

Jean LURÇAT (1892-1966)
Oval dish with fish and foliage, circa 1955-1965

Polychrome enamelled ceramic
Incised and enamelled blue and black decoration on ivory background
Signed on the reverse: "J. Lurçat",
Marked "Sant Vicens", and numbered 16/50

Dimensions: L 54 x l 28.5 cm

Important oval ceramic dish, with stylized decoration of a blue fish with incisive contours confronting a vertical black plant motif. The chromatic opposition of cobalt blue and deep black on an ivory background reinforces the graphic tension of the composition.

The design, engraved in the material and then enhanced with enamel, bears witness to a treatment that is both calligraphic and structured, characteristic of Lurçat's mature production.

The reverse, fully enameled, bears a handwritten signature "J. Lurçat", the workshop name "Sant Vicens" and a numbering 16/50, confirming a limited edition, typical of productions made in Perpignan in the 1950s-1960s.

The collaboration between Jean LURÇAT and the Atelier Sant-Vicens workshop represents a key moment in the post-war revival of French ceramics.

In contrast to some of the more common unnumbered productions, signed and numbered pieces such as this are controlled editions, generally produced in runs of 25, 50 or 100. They offer: superior workmanship, strict fidelity to the artist's drawing, better traceability on the market.

The fish motif, here treated in an almost totemic manner, is part of LURÇAT's symbolic vocabulary, where the animal becomes a universal sign. The verticality of the foliage, in counterpoint, structures the space and evokes a form of stylized tree of life.

Bibliography:

Pascale Picard, Salima Hellal, Jean Lurçat : La Terre, le Feu, l'Eau, l'Air, Silvana Editoriale, 2024

Philippe Chambost, Pascal Marziano, Arnaud Serpollet, 1947-2017: 70 ans d'expression céramique française, Livres de l'Îlot, 2020