12”H x 3.25”D, without lamp shade
17"H x 6"D, with lamp shade
4 1/2"H x 4 1/4"W x 4 3/4"D, dish
A matched set comprising a table lamp and a dish in the form of a sitting woman, both decorated in Capron's wonderful whimsical style. The lamp base, originally a container for lavender oil, was converted into a lamp in the 1950s. It has been stripped of its old European wiring and is rewired to USA standards. Signed. Excellent condition.Original glazed earthenware ceramic table lamp and catch all dish, by Capron, Vallauris France.
French ceramist Roger Capron was born in Vincennes in 1922. He studied at Paris’s School of Applied Arts, graduating in 1943 and working for a time as an art teacher. In 1946, Capron moved to Vallauris in the south of France and co-founded the Atelier Callis ceramics workshop along with ceramists Robert Picault (1919-2000) and Jean Derval (1925-2010). The town of Vallauris, located along the Cote d'Azur, was widely known for its pottery production dating back to Roman times. In the postwar years, the town experienced a pottery renaissance, as a number of artists—including Picasso—flocked there to work with the ancient materials and techniques.
Much like Picasso, Capron’s design aesthetic was in constant evolution, as he worked in a variety of different styles from the 1950s onwards. In his early career, Capron was a proponent of the Formes Libres movement, characterized by undulating, expressionist lines and patterns. Today, however, his pieces are again highly prized by collectors around the world.
Atelier Callis began to produce small household objects, purposefully humble and meant for everyday use. With the popularity of French ceramics at the time, however, Capron saw the opportunity to expand his output. In 1952, he parted ways with Picault and Derval and opened his own small manufactory, Atelier Capron.
Capron won many awards over the course of his career, including gold medals at the 1954 Milan Triennale and Expo ’58 in Brussels. In 2000, the New York Times wrote that Capron was” one of the most prolific and valued artisans of postwar European design.” In 2003, the Sèvres National Ceramics Museum hosted a major retrospective of Capron’s work. He passed away in 2006.
France
1958
