Large 20th Century Biscuit Porcelain Sculpture of a Little Girl Praying on a Cross from Betoule Et Cie, Limoges, France

Details

Description

Description of the object
an imposing sculpture in hard bisque porcelain depicting a little girl leaning against a rustic wooden … Read more Description of the object
an imposing sculpture in hard bisque porcelain depicting a little girl leaning against a rustic wooden cross, attributable to the betoule-legrand manufactory in limoges and dating to the first quarter of the 20th century. The figure, of substantial size and considerable weight (nearly five kilograms of biscuit), is modeled with great delicacy: the little girl, standing on rocky ground, leans against the arm of the cross and gently rests her cheek on her clasped hands, with a pensive gaze and a faint, melancholic smile that lends her an expression of intense tenderness. Her long, wavy hair falls softly over her shoulders; her loose, light dress flows in natural folds and is embellished with ruffled cuffs on the sleeves and refined spiral embroidery along the hem, while her feet are adorned with little shoes featuring a small buttoned strap, in keeping with early 20th-century children’s fashion. The cross, rendered with extraordinary realism in the bark, knots, and rings of the cut wood, is entwined with a vine of ivy—a symbol of fidelity and remembrance—and a bindweed flower, which lend the composition an intimate and poignant tone. Biscuit porcelain—that is, porcelain left unglazed after firing—has a satin-like, velvety surface resembling marble, which highlights every detail of the modeling; the clay is compact, white, and rich in kaolin, and the hollow base features the vent hole typical of the slip-casting process. On the back of the base is an oval mark featuring a monogram, accompanied by the model number, very similar to the monogram used by the betoule-legrand manufactory in limoges and listed in our french volume on european porcelain manufactories and marks, as shown in the last photo. The similarity of the monogram, the quality of the porcelain, and the style of the figure make this attribution convincing. It is in excellent overall condition, with a small chip on the lower part of the base—barely visible when the object is on display—and slight firing spots characteristic of the manufacturing process.

information about the artist and/or manufacturer
for over two centuries, limoges has been the porcelain capital of france. Following the discovery in 1768 of rich kaolin deposits in saint-yrieix, near the city, the first hard-paste porcelain factories were established, and during the 19th century, limoges became one of the world’s leading production centers, with dozens of factories exporting throughout europe and to the united states. Alongside the tableware sets that made limoges famous, the factories also produced sculptures and figurines in biscuit porcelain—a technique made famous by the sèvres manufactory as early as the 18th century and much loved for its resemblance to marble. The manufacturer to which our sculpture is attributed was active in the early decades of the 20th century under various business names: betoule & legrand around 1910, betoule et cie from 1920, and legrand & cie between 1923 and 1926. Over time, it used several trademarks, which are now listed in the major catalogs of french porcelain.


this piece has an attribution mark,
i am sure that it is completely authentic and take full responsibility for any authenticity
issues arising from misattribution See less