As a prelude to the French design auction on Thursday September 30, PIASA is holding an auction session dedicated to the artisanal production of Vallauris and its community of potters.
A nod to Claude Sautet and his ability to tell stories about friends (Vincent, François, Paul and the others), this sale recalls the adventure of a whole band of potters who have made Vallauris one of the best centres for arts and crafts in the world.
The town owes this recognition largely to Suzanne Ramié (1905-1974), née Douly, who decided to settle in 1938 in this declining pottery centre, which until then had been marked by a certain Provencal folklore. With her companion Georges Ramié, she founded the Madoura workshop - an acronym for MAison DOUly RAmié - where she renewed the genre of utilitarian ceramics with creations in sculptural forms of great modernity. Ten years later, Pablo Picasso was seduced by the know-how of the Madoura workshop, with whom he would work closely. This rich production will largely participate in the flight of Vallauris in the sphere of artistic ceramics.
Another figure, Roger Capron (1922-2006), also contributed to the fame of Vallauris by establishing himself as its leader. The artist-potter is represented in the sale by some sixty pieces that provide a good overview of his production, whose very varied catalogue of motifs adorns a wide variety of forms: vases, dishes, lights, tables, bas-reliefs, etc. Also presented are rarer creations based on the Japanese technique of raku, which Capron would try his hand at towards the end of his life.
Finally, one could not speak of the spirit of the band without the presence in the sale of pieces signed Jacques Innoncenti, Gilbert Valentin, André Baud, Alexandre Kostanda, Louis Giraud... which attest to the great creativity in vogue in Vallauris during the 1950s and 1970s.
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
Centaure (A.R. 102), 1950
Estimate: 10 000 / 15 000 €
Gilbert Valentin (1928-2000) and Les Archanges (20th c.)
Double stem vase
Estimate: 1 000 / 1 500 €
Roger Capron (1922-2006)
Sculpture
Estimate: 12 000 / 15 000 €
Roger Capron (1922-2006)
Drinking set with pitcher and six glasses
Estimate : 800 / 1 200 €
