Ref.14585
Théophile Soyer, The Hunter, 1885

This enameled copper plaque was created by Théophile Soyer in 1885. Théophile Soyer (1853-1940) learned his craft from his father, Paul Soyer, who was already practicing the technique of painted enamels, before joining the École des Beaux-Arts. He studied under Eugène Levasseur and Adolphe Yvon. He began working with enamel in Courbevoie, then joined his father's workshop, which he took over in 1896. He exhibited for the first time at the Salon in 1870, then regularly between 1875 and 1882, as well as at the Expositions of the Union Centrale des Beaux-Arts starting in 1876. His great technical mastery was rewarded with a silver medal at the World's Fair in 1889, and then a gold medal in 1900. Soyer actively participated in the artistic life of his time: he was successively Vice-President of the Chamber of Ceramics and Glassware and President of the Société des Éclectiques, a humorous society founded in 1872 by etchers and poets. He married Eugénie Dejoux, a painter-enameler of Genevan origin, with whom he had a daughter, Jeanne, who worked with her parents before marrying in 1906. Théophile Soyer's work was part of the Neo-Renaissance movement, at a time when past styles were in vogue.

Ref.15264
Fernand Thesmar, Ornament Plate With Grapevine on a Silver Background, 1880

This gilt bronze ornament plate, featuring a naturalistic design of a butterfly approaching a cluster of grapes, was crafted by Fernand Thesmar in 1880. André-Fernand Thesmar received industrial drawing training in Mulhouse before moving to Paris, where he joined the renowned Barbedienne workshop in 1872. It was there that he became deeply engaged in the study and practice of cloisonné enamel techniques. The plate exemplifies Thesmar’s fascination with natural motifs. A butterfly hovers delicately among vine leaves, close to a cluster of grapes. This piece highlights his exceptional mastery of the cloisonné enamel technique, with the subtle polychrome hues giving depth to the leaves and translucency to the grapes, which shimmer in the light. The silvery background showcases his expertise in metallic enamelwork, and the butterfly’s wings display a range of nuanced shades. The plate is signed by Thesmar, and both his monogram and the date of creation are seamlessly integrated into the decoration. On the reverse side, the plate is numbered 5147. Thesmar produced another enamel plate with a similar naturalistic design featuring vines and an insect, this time on a gold background, dated 1881. This work is currently housed at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.