A comprehensive, in-depth examination of nearly three centuries of sculptural production from France’s famous Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory  Winner of the American Ceramic Circle Book Award for 2025 Sèvres Extraordinaire! brings to light the production of sculpture at Sèvres over the 280 years of the institution’s existence—from the first attempts at soft-paste porcelain to the revolutionary decision to skip the glaze application, producing a matte white evocative of marble. Other new techniques followed, emulating classic sculptural materials such as bronze and gold. These processes set Sèvres apart and ensured its long-standing success with the medium. This book offers an overview of the artists, artisans, and patrons who converged over the years at Sèvres, and whose ideas represent a microcosm of larger developments in art and culture. Considering the term “sculpture” in its broadest sense, it features vases, dining-table centerpieces, clocks, inkstands, and rare cups and saucers alongside objects such as busts, figures, and medallions. The history is told through material, much of which has never been illustrated, that includes drawings, plaster molds, and terracotta models housed in the archives of the Sèvres Manufactory and in the Musées nationaux, as well as finished sculptures designed by artists including Étienne Maurice Falconet (1716–1791), François Boucher (1703–1770), Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (1824–1887), Auguste Rodin (1840–1917), Louise Bourgeois (1911–2010), and Giuseppe Penone (b. 1947). Distributed for Bard Graduate Center Exhibition Schedule: Bard Graduate Center, New York(September 20, 2024–January 5, 2025 and September 10–November 16, 2025 )

"Pierre Gouthiere: Virtuoso Gilder at the French Court" celebrates the life of Pierre Gouthiere (1732-1813), considered to be one of the best Parisian bronze chasers and gilders of the eighteenth-century. Gouthiere became gilder to Louis XV in 1767, and is credited with inventing a new type of gilding that left a matte finish"dorure au mat"one of the hallmarks of his work. Although incredibly successful in his day, Gouthiere died in relative obscurity and poverty; unlike some of his contemporaries his works never regained popularity after the French Revolution.The inclusion of detailed entries and plates of forty works positively attributed to Gouthiere, five essays by leading experts which examine Gouthiere's life, career, clientele, and gilding techniques, as well as examples of his work from French, British and American collections, ensure that this beautiful volume is an invaluable new resource on Gouthiere. The only other volume on this master was published in 1920, and is now long out of print.

Encompasses an impressive and engaging variety of fabulous objects from the most important faience centres, dating from the late sixteenth to the mid-eighteenth century. A feat of great technical achievement, French faience was introduced to Lyon in the second half of the sixteenth century by skilled Italian immigrants:mdash;the French word "faience" deriving from the northern Italian city of Faenza. Over the next two centuries, production spread throughout the provinces of metropolitan France. The fine decoration of French faience draws inspiration from multiple sources - Italian maiolica, Asian porcelain, and even contemporary engravings. The forms of its platters, bowls, plates, and ewers derive mostly from European ceramics and silver. This complex interplay of influences comes together in works of great originality. The Knafel Collection of French faience, the finest in private hands, includes outstanding examples of Nevers, Rouen, Moustiers, Moulins, and Marseilles production from the late sixteenth to the mid-eighteenth century. The quality of these masterpieces almost obscures the fact that French faience was essentially a provincial art, largely patronised and commissioned by a local aristocracy and made far from the centres of political power in Versailles and Paris. In this stunning new volume, Charlotte Vignon traces the history of French faience, offering detailed discussions of key centers of production. Illustrated with more than seventy examples, this valuable resource testifies to the creativity and beauty of an engagingly innovative tradition. AUTHOR: Charlotte Vignon is curator of Decorative Arts at The Frick Collection, as well as a Visiting Associate Professor at the Bard Graduate Center, New York. 88 colour images

A comprehensive, in-depth examination of nearly three centuries of sculptural production from France’s famous Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory  Winner of the American Ceramic Circle Book Award for 2025 Sèvres Extraordinaire! brings to light the production of sculpture at Sèvres over the 280 years of the institution’s existence—from the first attempts at soft-paste porcelain to the revolutionary decision to skip the glaze application, producing a matte white evocative of marble. Other new techniques followed, emulating classic sculptural materials such as bronze and gold. These processes set Sèvres apart and ensured its long-standing success with the medium. This book offers an overview of the artists, artisans, and patrons who converged over the years at Sèvres, and whose ideas represent a microcosm of larger developments in art and culture. Considering the term “sculpture” in its broadest sense, it features vases, dining-table centerpieces, clocks, inkstands, and rare cups and saucers alongside objects such as busts, figures, and medallions. The history is told through material, much of which has never been illustrated, that includes drawings, plaster molds, and terracotta models housed in the archives of the Sèvres Manufactory and in the Musées nationaux, as well as finished sculptures designed by artists including Étienne Maurice Falconet (1716–1791), François Boucher (1703–1770), Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (1824–1887), Auguste Rodin (1840–1917), Louise Bourgeois (1911–2010), and Giuseppe Penone (b. 1947). Distributed for Bard Graduate Center Exhibition Schedule: Bard Graduate Center, New York(September 20, 2024–January 5, 2025 and September 10–November 16, 2025 )

"Pierre Gouthiere: Virtuoso Gilder at the French Court" celebrates the life of Pierre Gouthiere (1732-1813), considered to be one of the best Parisian bronze chasers and gilders of the eighteenth-century. Gouthiere became gilder to Louis XV in 1767, and is credited with inventing a new type of gilding that left a matte finish"dorure au mat"one of the hallmarks of his work. Although incredibly successful in his day, Gouthiere died in relative obscurity and poverty; unlike some of his contemporaries his works never regained popularity after the French Revolution.The inclusion of detailed entries and plates of forty works positively attributed to Gouthiere, five essays by leading experts which examine Gouthiere's life, career, clientele, and gilding techniques, as well as examples of his work from French, British and American collections, ensure that this beautiful volume is an invaluable new resource on Gouthiere. The only other volume on this master was published in 1920, and is now long out of print.

Encompasses an impressive and engaging variety of fabulous objects from the most important faience centres, dating from the late sixteenth to the mid-eighteenth century. A feat of great technical achievement, French faience was introduced to Lyon in the second half of the sixteenth century by skilled Italian immigrants:mdash;the French word "faience" deriving from the northern Italian city of Faenza. Over the next two centuries, production spread throughout the provinces of metropolitan France. The fine decoration of French faience draws inspiration from multiple sources - Italian maiolica, Asian porcelain, and even contemporary engravings. The forms of its platters, bowls, plates, and ewers derive mostly from European ceramics and silver. This complex interplay of influences comes together in works of great originality. The Knafel Collection of French faience, the finest in private hands, includes outstanding examples of Nevers, Rouen, Moustiers, Moulins, and Marseilles production from the late sixteenth to the mid-eighteenth century. The quality of these masterpieces almost obscures the fact that French faience was essentially a provincial art, largely patronised and commissioned by a local aristocracy and made far from the centres of political power in Versailles and Paris. In this stunning new volume, Charlotte Vignon traces the history of French faience, offering detailed discussions of key centers of production. Illustrated with more than seventy examples, this valuable resource testifies to the creativity and beauty of an engagingly innovative tradition. AUTHOR: Charlotte Vignon is curator of Decorative Arts at The Frick Collection, as well as a Visiting Associate Professor at the Bard Graduate Center, New York. 88 colour images