Gaspard Robert (1722-1799) was the founder of a factory that made

faience Faience or faïence (; ) is the general English language term for fine tin-glazed pottery. The invention of a white pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an oxide of tin to the slip of a lead glaze, was a major ad ...

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...

, France, between 1750 and 1793.

History

Joseph Gaspard Robert first worked in a porcelain factory, and then returned to Marseille in 1750. Robert operated a factory from about 1750 to 1793. He collaborated with André Estieu, whom his mother had married after being widowed. He took over from 1761, and led the pottery into a prodigious expansion. Married to Marguerite Defléchis, he did not have children and devoted himself entirely to his profession. Receiving numerous disciples, he was constantly expanding. In 1773 he teamed up with John Jacob Dortu from Berlin for the production of porcelain. This production was mainly a range of small objects for use for snacks between meals or for parts of a service. In 1777 Joseph Gaspard Robert was visited by the Count of Provence, later

Louis XVIII of France Louis XVIII (Louis Stanislas Xavier; 17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824), known as the Desired (), was King of France from 1814 to 1824, except for a brief interruption during the Hundred Days in 1815. He spent twenty-three years in e ...

, who found that he was busily engaged in manufacturing porcelain. His work included large vases decorated with relief work and bouquets of flowers. Entire sets of tableware were being ordered for shipment abroad. His factory exported to Northern Europe and England, where his links with Freemasonry opened opportunities for him. In 1789, he was elected deputy to represent the potters. Faced with the economic crisis of the time, he was forced to cease operations in 1794.

Products

Robert imitated the high-relief decorative style of la

Veuve Perrin Veuve Perrin (Widow Perrin) was a factory in Marseille, France, that manufactured Faïence wares between 1748 and 1803. History Claude Perrin, born in Nevers on 20 April 1696, settled in Marseille in 1733 where he died on 25 March 1748. Pierette ...

. He also produced plates with finely painted landscapes in their center, and after 1773 also made porcelain. He used a less formal style derived from the

Rouen manufactory The city of Rouen, Normandy has been a centre for the production of faience or tin-glazed earthenware pottery, since at least the 1540s. Unlike Nevers faience, where the earliest potters were immigrants from Italy, who at first continued to make w ...

, the ''style rayonnant''. The Robert pottery products typically use monochrome sepia, green, pink or blue decorations, or multicolored landscapes, animals, fish or flowers.

Gallery

The

Musée de la Faïence de Marseille The Musée de la Faïence de Marseille was a museum in southern Marseille, France, dedicated to faience, a type of pottery. It opened to the public in June 1995 in Château Pastré at 157, Avenue de Montredon 13008 Marseille. It closed on 31 Decem ...

has an important collection of work by Gaspard Robert. Image:Musée de la faïence-41-saucière.jpg, Sauce boat Image:Musée de la faïence, pot pourri par Gaspard Robert.jpg, Pot pourri Image:Musée de la faïence, pot à oille par Gaspard Robert.jpg, Tureen Image:Musée de la faïence-36-vase-balustre.jpg, Baluster vase with handles Image:Vase Gaspard Robert.JPG, Vase, decor in the taste of Salembier, musée des Arts décoratifs et du Design, Bordeaux, France

References

Citations Sources * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Robert, Gaspard Ceramics manufacturers of France 1722 births 1799 deaths Companies based in Marseille Faience of France