MAX BLONDAT & SÈVRES
On the occasion of the 1925 International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Paris, sculptor Max Blondat erected a fountain in front of the Collector's Pavilion, decorated by Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann. Made of white porcelain, this work is the latest edition of the miniature model marketed by the Sèvres factory.
D 18 1/2 - H 21 1/4 in.
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Max Blondat est un sculpteur Art nouveau et Art déco formé à l'École Germain-Pilon à Paris. En 1890, il expose un médaillon en plâtre au Salon des artistes français. Il perfectionne ensuite sa technique dans l'atelier de Mathurin Moreau. En 1892, il entre à l'Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Paris et signe ses premières œuvres du nom de sa mère, Henry. Il réalise également des céramiques avec Edmond Lachenal à la manufacture de Sèvres ou des œuvres en fer forgé avec Edgar Brandt. Il travaille avec les fonderies Siot-Decauville et Valsuani. Il crée également des bijoux pour Chambon et Hermès. En 1906, il est membre fondateur de la Société française des arts décoratifs. Une partie de ses œuvres est exposée au musée des années trente à Boulogne-Billancourt. L'une de ses créations les plus célèbres est la fontaine de la Jeunesse, représentant trois enfants regardant trois grenouilles.
Provenance
The work in question is one of the most refined embodiments of the aesthetic ideology of Max Blondat, a Burgundian sculptor whose career is closely associated with the dawn of Art Deco. Significantly entitled L’Équilibre (Balance), the piece was originally conceived to decorate the Hôtel du Collectionneur for the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, held in Paris in 1925.
In the version produced by the National Sèvres Manufactory, the work becomes a sumptuous centerpiece, seamlessly combining sculptural language and ornamental function in a harmonious and natural manner. The composition is structured around the figure of a nude child—an embodiment of innocence and timeless grace—standing atop a sphere, a universal symbol of perfection and harmony. This delicate balance is in turn supported by a fluted column reminiscent of classical architecture, lending the ensemble a sense of solemnity softened by the childlike gentleness of the figure. The column evokes a fountain, extending into a circular basin whose exterior walls are finely chiselled with acorns and festoons.
Max Blondat was an Art Nouveau and Art Deco sculptor trained at the École Germain-Pilon in Paris. In 1890, he exhibited a plaster medallion at the Salon des Artistes Français. He subsequently refined his technique in the studio of Mathurin Moreau. In 1892, he entered the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and signed his early works under his mother’s name, Henry. He also produced ceramics with Edmond Lachenal at the Sèvres Manufactory and wrought-iron works with Edgar Brandt. He collaborated with the Siot-Decauville and Valsuani foundries and created jewelry for Chambon and Hermès. In 1906, he was a founding member of the Société Française des Arts Décoratifs. A portion of his work is housed in the Musée des Années Trente in Boulogne-Billancourt. Among his most celebrated creations is the Fountain of Youth, depicting three children observing three frogs.
Bibliographie
'Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes', 'L'Art vivant', 1925, n. 19, p. 24'Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes', 'Art et décoration', 1925, n. 6, p. 207
'Les œuvres de la Manufacture de Sèvres', La Sculpture, Paris, 1932, model referenced under no. 1229 and reproduced in plate 43.
Norbert Wold, 'Art déco', Prestel, 2016, p.71
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