The morning call., 1891-08-09
AN ART CENTER
70 Be CLOSED.
Proposition to Discontinue the Porcelain
Works at SeVfeS.
Its Day Has Been Graceful and Glorious, but
the Life Remaining at the Old Atelier
Is but an Illusion.


PARIS. July "a. 1S91.-There will be con-
sternation among Americans if the manu-
factory of porcelain at Sevres be closed. At
the present time the question is seriously
discussed. for Sevres has had Its day."
Its day" has been graceful and glorious.
but the life remaining in this old atelier is
an illusion. Amateurs no longer buy Seyres
porcelain, and except the few pieces sold
in England yearly, all made at Sevres is re-
served for the use of the President of the
French Republic. Like Queen Victoria's
India shawls, President Carnot's vases have
worldwide renown. A new Director must
be appointed at SevreS. and NJ. Baumgart,
who has been kind of book-keeper in the
establishment. has perhaps more chance
than any other for the position.
NJ. Baumgart knows nothing of chemistry,
nothing of ceramics, nothing of sculpture,
nothing of recommendations; but he is orderly
and his appointment would be temporary
one.
Hitherto Director of Sevres has been re-
quired to understand all arts and besides to
rule over a colony of workmen. Sevres re-
quires not one but many artistic Directors
that is. the Director of Seyres must say to
great artists: You are at home here Here
is material-use it. Here are employees who
will obey you. Now that you possess all that
is necessary, make US beautiful things"
1t would be very easy to lend the work
shops and furnaces at Sevres Tor expert
ments, and already a corner has been found
for NJ. Henri eros, who is trying to perfect
a colored glass clay.
Each Director thus far has considered
tina. the mandatory was intended to all ow
him, personally, to discover some secret
color or clay. All these efforts, without
doubt, are very praseworthy, but as con-
sequence, the Seyres mandatory, receiv-
ing from the State $4,000 a year, has no
influence on modern art.
The internal organization of Sevres has
many defects: for example. to-day, there
are thirty pupils who will Tomorrow be
practical artists and workmen. Soon as
these young men thoroughly learn the art,
they leave SevreS. Why? Because at
Sevrcs they receive so little compensation
for their work. Consequently, the estab-
liShment at Sevres gives til elm an education,
SO that they may work,
NOT FOR sEVRES, BUT FOR ITEMS ELVES.
Sevres is nursery for artists, painters,
scGlptorS and engravers There are ~
Merigot. author of the famous Merigot
u,
sculptor DeSb0is. besides many others of
less renown. These are the first in the
world among ceramic artists, and they
earn barely enough to support themselves in
the simplest manner, five, six, seven, never
more than eight hundred dollars year.
Desbois the sculptor who received a first
medal at the salon, Is paid 40 cents an hour.
During hve years of apprenticeship, pupils
do not receive anything; afterward they are
PAID sixty, eighty, or hundred dollars
year. Their talent may make them worth
five or six hundred dollars year after it
has been recognized by the public.
The last Directors of Seyres, NJ, Lauth
and NJ. Deck, were very unpopular. From
the time of Louis XIV hard porcelain
had been the speciality of Seyres, but
these Directors restored the soft For
celain that was the admiration of our an
cestnrS. The excitement was great when
the clay marked l.. V. made its appearance,
but NJ. Lauth had no right to the homer of
discovery. When in 1879 he became Di-
rector Of Sevres, it was well known that NJ.
Sa!yertat, chief OF the chemical department,
had discovered the composition of the soft
porcelain. Al the banquet of Inauguration
NJ. Lauth himself gave this toast: 'Loug life
and prosperity to the Salvertat porcelalas."
SIX months later Salvertat was asked to re-
tire, and his place was taken by savant
named Nogt That explains the porcelain
IL. "" uauth-VogD.
The story OF Macquer's discovery of hard
there was an exhibition of porcelains in the
chateau of Versailles, and from this the
King chose his gifts.
One Christmas MacQuer exhibited to Louis
XIV hre-proof porcelain, and in order to
prove his statement superbIv decorated
coffee-pot was filed with water and allowed
TO boil. The KING was much interested,
when suddenly the coffee-not burst in a
thousand pieces. Louis XIV laughed and
went to mass. Macquer.
DURING THE KINGS ABSENCE,
Found the cause of this accident, placed
another. cotfee-pot on the fire, and again
asked his Majesty to consider the discovery.
Louis XIV reappeared with Nine. du
Barry, Prince de Condo, Duke de N0alles
and Prince de Soubise. and found that the
porcelain was really fire. proof. 1t immedi-
ately became the fashion. but rival manu-
factories sprang up in all directions.
Laborde. the Kings valet bought land at
Saint Denis and there founded a manu-
factory. patrunlzed later by Marie An
tolnette. Limoges was at first illegal. and
Limoges has always done harm to Sevres.
The mandatory was only established in
Sevres after successive Installations at
Saint Cloud, Nincennes and Chanlilly. Its
success dates from 1876, when the King be-
came sole propri etor. Besides porcelain. at
Sevres have been fabricated mosaics and
enamels on glass and copper.
There is aStory about these glass enamels,
story known only 10 few. NJ. Brpgniard,
Director of the establishment in 1916, COM
planned that Seyres was school for sci
ence, not for art. He wished to improve on
the ancient glass enameeTs, who COMPOSED
their chefs-d'9uyre of tiny pie ces Joined
together with lead. According to him, it
was possible to enamel IA large piece Of
glass, and rs this idea pleased King Louis
Philippe. windows were ordered al Sevres
for the Dreux Chapel. When the first win
dow was huisbed the King went to Sevres in
order 10 judge of the effect. At Sevres they
never say King or Emperor, but always
monarch, and so that the monarch might
better examine the work, the artist pulled
back his scaffolding (echapandage). Louis
carrying his oyercoat; he looked at the
window near, then drew back, farther and
farther. just as lie was about to touch the
scaHoldiDg his servant exclaimed, Sire, be
careful OF the seatfol0ing (echafand)v At
this word the King turned pale, looked
anxiously to the right, To the left, touched
his hat, SAID frigidly. Adieu, gentlemen
and went away, without once CHANGING back
Never after was he heard to speak of
THE sEvREs MANU- ACToRY.
Louis XIV often urged the purchase of
piece OF Sevres porcelain. For example, one
valuable vase. The King said: "Buy it.
and | shall give you the rich parish for
which You have sighed so long"
Now, nc thefts are. committed at Sevres,
but in former times 1t was not uncommon
to see visitor quietly put cup in his
pocket The King once saw favorite
courtler choose pretty cup for himself. but
said nothing. The next day, however, his
Majesty sent an employee with the saucer,
forgotten by the fayoritp, and bill for both
cup and saucer, also forgotten.
L have not space to speak Of the manner
in which porcelain is manufactured at
Sevres, for that would require a column by
itself, but will only refer to the museum,
the richest ceramic museum in the world.
The catalogue is a model of erudition; the