Coffee Table in Vallauris Ceramic from Roger Capron, 1960s

Details

Description

Coffee Table, Vallauris Ceramic, signed Roger Capron, 1960s – France

Designer: Roger Capron
Materials: Metal and Vallauris ceramic
Period: 1960s
… Read more Coffee Table, Vallauris Ceramic, signed Roger Capron, 1960s – France

Designer: Roger Capron
Materials: Metal and Vallauris ceramic
Period: 1960s
Country of origin: France
Good condition considering its age and use
Dimensions: 42 x 80 x 41 cm

A stunning low table, coffee table, or coffee table with a rectangular profile, designed and signed by Roger Capron in the 1960s. The metal frame features delicate, semicircular legs overlapping each side. Between them is a fine metal grid that can serve as a magazine rack or for holding small items. The top is composed of Vallauris ceramic pieces with a geometric pattern that combines various square and rectangular shapes on a black background, playing with colors (pink, green, and yellow). The top view could be compared to a painting due to its unique design. Roger Capron was a designer especially renowned for his ceramic works. In fact, he was one of the ceramists who brought prestige and glamour back to Vallauris, this town on the French Riviera.

Roger Capron (Vincennes, France, 1922 – Cannes, France, 2006)

Roger Capron graduated in 1943 from the School of Applied Arts in Paris. In 1952, he founded his own workshop, ‘l’Atelier Callis’, in Vallauris and associated with artists like Picasso. His work soon gained international recognition. His wife, Jacotte, studied art and became a valuable collaborator.

Thanks to his expertise in mixing pigments and glazes, Capron’s most famous ceramics feature dazzling colors and whimsical figures. Like Picasso, he experimented with many artistic styles and never adhered to a single technique for long.

However, his coffee tables with intricate geometric shapes and vibrant colors are also highly noteworthy. These mid-century pieces, with their pleasing palettes and playful arrangements of abstract forms or patterns from the natural world, are both accessible and sophisticated. Inspired by Scandinavian modernism, they illustrate the Parisian ceramist's conviction that beautiful objects should be easily and widely accessible. He wanted to make ceramics popular, within everyone's reach, and was one of the few artists who transitioned from craft to industry without losing an ounce of passion. This obsession led him to decorate many public buildings in the south of France, including the Cannes maritime station, for which he created a decorative mural. The Nîmes theater and the luxurious Byblos hotel in Saint-Tropez also featured his work.

Stoneware fueled his boundless imagination and obsession with designing tables and panels with colorful mosaics. His coffee tables, side tables, and decorative objects are among the most enduring and coveted designs of the mid-century modern era.

He was awarded prizes at the Milan Triennale in 1954 and the Grand Prix International de la Céramique in 1970. His works have been exhibited at the National Ceramics Museum and the Magnelli Museum.

About Vallauris Pottery

Vallauris was a pottery center that experienced significant growth in the mid-19th century thanks to the arrival of the railway. It cemented its reputation as a ceramic hub with the arrival of Post-Impressionist and Modernist painters, such as Chagall and Picasso, who sought inspiration in the Orient and primitive art forms. This period saw the rise of large factories, bringing with them a truly industrial and commercial organization for ceramic production.

Pottery has been prominent in Vallauris since the Gallo-Roman era, particularly in the area of ​​culinary ceramics. Casseroles, pots, and jugs have enhanced Vallauris' international reputation, primarily due to the material's resistance to high temperatures. Picasso's arrival in the 1950s cemented Vallauris' status as the ceramic capital of France, attracting numerous artists eager to master the art of pottery. Vallauris ceramics are of the highest quality in both material and design. 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