Stories

Service Rousseau

Today I would like to talk about a very interesting and historical ceramic service, the 'Service Rousseau' from the Creil Montereau factory. This service is part of the history of French decorative arts and dates back to 1866.

The 'Service Rousseau' was printed and painted with bright colours and Japonaiserie designs, the work of the famous artists Felix Braeguemond and Eugene Rousseau.

Bracquemond, known as a draughtsman, painter and engraver, was one of the first Frenchmen to be attracted to Japanese prints, which later also inspired the Impressionist painters. The decoration of the Service Rousseau derives precisely from these Japanese prints, which Bracquemond collected, studied and disseminated.

Presented at the Universal Exhibition of 1867, this service was a great success, and is still seen today as an emblematic example of the Japonisme developed in France at the time. Each piece of the service features a different decoration, combining birds, fish and crustaceans with plants and insects.
The combination of these elements of nature represents the particular way Japan looked at nature, and Bracquemond used the fauna and flora layouts of two great Japanese print masters, Hiroshige and Hokusai.

Bracquemond thus contributed to the renewal of French ceramics and initiated generations of artists who were inspired by Japan for their decorations and forms. The Service Rousseau is an excellent example of how Japanese prints can be transposed and adapted to European forms, making it a treasure for lovers of ceramics and art.
And you know what? This service was sold at auction by Christies in 2012 for a whopping £8750. Amazing, isn't it?