Tondo

This painted earthenware tondo is presented in a large circular frame of blackened wood, this frame is structured by a succession of moldings, alternating rows of gorges and torus, which guide the eye and accentuate the effect of depth of the central composition, the decoration of the piece is organized on a luminous, textured gold background, imitating the appearance of worked gold leaf. Over the entire surface of this background, a secondary network of branches, brambles and foliage delicately drawn in monochrome and brown hues unfolds, forming a tapestry-like pattern in the background.
The main subject is a naturalistic bouquet of blossoming and budding pansies, linked by their stems and densely shaded green foliage. The central flower is distinguished by its dark purple-purple petals, enhanced by touches of bright blue and a yellow heart. It is surrounded on the left by a variety of yellow and ochre pansies with sharply cut dark macules, while other flowers in shades of mauve, white and violet complete the bouquet towards the top and periphery, the texture of the fired glaze revealing a slight relief and fine superficial cracks, particularly on the denser pigments of the petals.
On the lower right of the bouquet, painted directly in black on the gold background beneath the stems, is the handwritten inscription indicating the artist's signature and the year of production: "Louis Thévenol 1890".