Ceramics Rare Moonlit Blue pattern Moorcroft footed bowl with silver-plated foot, c1922. Courtesy of www.decotomodern.co.uk. Aubrey Beardsley illustration from ‘Lysistrata Haranguing The Athenian Women’, adapted by Poole Pottery c1970s. Courtesy of Aubrey Beardsley illustration, adapted by Poole www.pooleroom.co.uk. Pottery c1970s. Courtesy of www.pooleroom.co.uk. Art Nouveau & British Ceramics by Roland Head he Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century led to a dramatic increase in urban migration Tand a new type of architecture and design. Such sweeping changes inevitably affected the designers and artists of the period and it was out of this change that Art Nouveau was born. Art Nouveau represented a new style of visual arts that was determinedly modern yet drew on a wide range of sources for its inspiration. In time, this new style was to make a memorable contribution to British ceramic design, as I will illustrate. A New Movement use of lines, which became known as whiplash. This was named The Art Nouveau movement was born in the early 1890s. after an embroidery by German artist Hermann Obrist and became Although it is a style most associated with Continental designers, a feature of many Art Nouveau designs. It was combined to great one of the first, definitive exponents of this new style was British. effect with other common motifs such as plants, flowers and the In 1893, a new journal, The Studio, was published. Included in its female form. first edition were some drawings by one Aubrey Beardsley, a young English illustrator. Among the published drawings was an Art Nouveau & The Potteries illustration Beardsley had produced for Oscar Wilde’s play, Despite being home to several individuals who were important to Salome. It's now considered one of the first definitive examples of the development of the Art Nouveau movement, British potteries the Art Nouveau style and it had terrific impact on publication, were reluctant to adopt the Art Nouveau style as comprehensively catapulting Beardsley to the centre of the modern art world in as some of their Continental counterparts. Europe and North America. Those that did embrace the Art Nouveau movement usually did so Almost at the same time - but without knowing Beardsley or his with a portion of their art pottery output. Notable examples work - a Belgian architect named Victor Horta completed the included Minton’s Secessionist Ware, early Moorcroft and design and interior decoration of a house in Brussels. The house Hancock’s Morris Ware. was designed not only in the style that was to become Art Nouveau, but also as a ‘total work of art’ - a complete, artistically Minton consistent environment. The idea was that all elements of the Minton was perhaps the first major British pottery to engage with interior of a property should relate. This was a concept that was the Art Nouveau movement. Most significant was the work of also embraced by the architectural and design work of Scottish Léon Solon, a young designer whose father and grandfather had designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh, whose most noted work also worked at Minton. By 1896, Solon’s work had featured in took place during the Art Nouveau period - and who like The Studio and he had pioneered the use of slip trailing at Minton, Beardsley, featured successfully in The Studio. a technique in which he specialised. Recurring themes in Léon Solon's work in the late 1890s were the The Art Nouveau Style female form, flowers and peacocks - all of which leant themselves The concept of Art Nouveau encompassed a broad range of styles well to Art Nouveau designs. Secessionist Ware was the logical and influences, including obvious candidates such as Rococo, conclusion to this work and Solon designed the range jointly with French Symbolism and the English Style - epitomised by the Arts fellow Minton designer John Wadsworth. Secessionist Ware was and Crafts movement. However, perhaps the most prevalent launched in 1902 and was unmistakeably Art Nouveau in style. It theme in much Art Nouveau design was nature. Certainly, the was also priced relatively modestly at the time and was a clear naturalistic aspects of Art Nouveau had the greatest influence on example of just how mainstream the Art Nouveau movement had British ceramic design. One of the most consistent and recog- become by its second decade. Secessionist Ware shapes were nisable design devices of Art Nouveau was the swirling, sinuous, decorated with flowing, naturalistic, slip-trailed designs and were ANTIQUES INFO - July/August 09 Ceramics boldly coloured with majolica glazes. These were applied with a techniques and creative themes, and fits clearly into the same deliberate lack of precision and allowed to overlap and merge in genre as its better-known compatriots. places, giving the wares a distinctive appearance. The range was a Designed by George Cartlidge, Morris Ware was perhaps intended moderate success and survived, despite Minton's financial to be a direct competitor to the Moorcroft of the time. It certainly problems, until 1914. bears close comparison in terms of quality, decorating techniques and design themes. Morris Ware was decorated using the same William Moorcroft combination of bold, hand-painted colours and slip trailing as No discussion of raised slip decoration and early twentieth century Moorcroft’s wares and Cartlidge’s patterns used similar organic pottery would be complete without a mention of William themes - such as thistles, with long, flowing stems. Moorcroft. Moorcroft was another creative leader in the use of this technique and although not an unconditional fan of the Art Buying Art Nouveau Ceramics Nouveau movement, nonetheless incorporated many aspects of it Fans of the Art Nouveau movement will probably not restrict into his work. Indeed, his sinuous, flowing Florian Ware designs themselves to ceramics. Glass, silver and furniture all offer varied were identifiably influenced by the Art Nouveau style, as were and complimentary opportunities and the concept of a ‘total work some of his later floral and plant-based designs, all of which of art’ was after all one of the key tenets of the Art Nouveau utilised the same techniques of strongly coloured hand painting movement. Why restrict yourself to just ceramics? and raised slip decoration. From a British art pottery perspective, wares such as Secessionist Along with Minton’s Léon Solon, credit must be given to William Ware and early Moorcroft provide a good quality collecting oppor- Moorcroft for bringing Art Nouveau to the mainstream of the tunity to suit a range of pockets. British art pottery market. Morris Ware While rarer and less well known than Minton and Moorcroft, Hancock & Sons’ Morris Ware range utilised many of the same Early Pomegranate pattern Morrisware urn-shaped vase with Moorcroft vase, c1916. Courtesy of Pomegranate pattern Moorcroft ink- purple flowers on blue ground, www.decotomodern.co.uk. well and desk calendar, c1914-16. c1918-26. Courtesy of Morrisware vase with red flowers on Courtesy of www.decotomodern.co.uk. www.gazelles.co.uk. mustard ground, signed by George Cartlidge c1918-26. Courtesy of www.gazelles.co.uk. Aubrey Beardsley illustration from Oscar Wilde’s ‘Salome’, as published Aubrey Beardsley illustration from in 1893 in the first edition of The Morrisware vase with purple flowers Oscar Wilde's ‘Salome’, adapted by Studio magazine. Adapted by Poole on mustard ground, signed by Morrisware vase with purple flowers Poole Pottery c1970s. Courtesy of Pottery c1970s. Courtesy of George Cartlidge c1918-26. on green ground, c1918-26. Courtesy www.pooleroom.co.uk. www.pooleroom.co.uk. Courtesy of www.gazelles.co.uk. of www.gazelles.co.uk. ANTIQUES INFO - July/August 09 Ceramics 13 18 5 1 Art Nouveau tiles, panel of Royal Dux porcelain Art six tube-lined 6in tiles, Nouveau vase, shaped rim 9 applied with a figure of a Royal Dux (Bohemia) Art twenty four 3in border tiles, reclining maiden in green Nouveau bowl, sea-shell on a mahogany frame. Halls Fine Doulton Lambeth ware vase robes, 14.5in wide. Andrew stem embellished with flowers, Art, Shrewsbury. Sep 03. HP: Goldscheider terracotta fig- by Eliza Simmance, with Art Hartley, Ilkley. Feb 00. HP: lady on edge of shell another £840. ABP: £988. ural table lamp, after a model Nouveau tube-lined decor- £580. ABP: £682. by F Gross, Art Nouveau standing, 46cm high, applied/ ation of three tulips against a maiden, holding yellow glass imp’d pink triangle pad mark 14 castellated jewelled border, 19 amphora on her shoulders, & No.914. Marilyn Swain, mottled green ground, 17.75in. Greek figure mark, 33in high. Grantham. May 05. HP: Gorringes, Lewes. Oct 08. Andrew Hartley, Ilkley. Aug £1,150. ABP: £1,352. HP: £900. ABP: £1,058. 05. HP: £3,700. ABP: £4,352. Doulton Lambeth stoneware vase by Eliza Simmance, flared rim, incised and tube Brantjes, Purmerend pottery lined with Art Nouveau style vase, c1900, ovoid bottle flowers, green mottled ground, 2 10 form, decorated with Art 10.75in high. Hartleys, Ilkley. Pair of R. Doulton baluster Nouveau stylised lilies, vases, by Eliza Simmance, Oct 06. HP: £780. ABP: £917. Pair of Royal Dux Art Salvini Brevettato Italia early painted mark and numbered Art Nouveau floral6 designs, Nouveau style baluster vases, 20thC pottery vase, painted 510, 26cm. Sworders, triangular flowerheads in applied pink mark, impressed in an Art Nouveau style with Stansted Mountfitchet. Apr blue, green & ochre, 18.5in. marks 824 & 825, 43cm high. the crowned head of a female 06. HP: £580. ABP: £682. Gorringes, Lewes. Mar 05. Wintertons Ltd, Lichfield. May bedecked with jewels amongst HP: £1,100. ABP: £1,293. 02. HP: £1,400. ABP: £1,646. flowers, blue background, 7in high. Tring Market Auctions, 15 20 Herts. Mar 05. HP: £880.