Joseph-Théodore Deck (2 January 1823 – 15 May 1891) was a 19th-century French potter, an important figure in late 19th-century art pottery. Born in

Guebwiller Guebwiller (; Alsatian language, Alsatian: ''Gàwiller'' ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Haut-Rhin Departments of France, département in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It was a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the de ...

Haut-Rhin Haut-Rhin (); Alsatian: ''Owerelsàss'' or '; , . is a department in the Grand Est region, France, bordering both Germany and Switzerland. It is named after the river Rhine; its name means Upper Rhine. Haut-Rhin is the smaller and less pop ...

, he began learning the trade in his early 20s, moving to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

at age 24. In 1856 he established his own

faience Faience or faïence (; ) is the general English language term for fine tin-glazed pottery. The invention of a white Ceramic glaze, pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an stannous oxide, oxide of tin to the Slip (c ...

( earthenware) workshop, Joseph-Théodore Deck Ceramique Française, and began to experiment with styles from

Islamic pottery Islamic pottery occupied a geographical position between Chinese ceramics, and the pottery of the Byzantine Empire and Europe. For most of the period, it made great aesthetic achievements and influence as well, influencing Byzantium and Europe ...

, and in particular the Iznik style. When Japonisme arrived in the 1870s he embraced this and other art pottery trends with enthusiasm, finally conquering the French establishment when he was made art director of Sèvres porcelain in 1887. Several important figures from the next generation were trained by Deck, including Edmond Lachenal."Théodore Deck and the Islamic Style"
by Frederica Todd Harlow, from ''Aramco World''; Sullivan In the 1880s he also worked in the Chinese pottery tradition, also collaborating with Raphaël Collin, and other artists of the time. He died in Paris. In 1887 he published a treatise under the title ''La Faïence,'' which is available in facsimile online.

Gallery

File:Dish MET DT6917 (cropped).jpg, Dish, 1866 File:Vase with mythological scenes MET DP704009 (cropped).jpg, Vase with mythological scenes, 1869 File:Joseph-Théodore Deck - Large Plate - Walters 481909.jpg, Japanese inspired plate, c. 1875,

Walters Art Museum The Walters Art Museum is a public art museum located in the Mount Vernon, Baltimore, Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. Founded and opened in 1934, it holds collections from the mid-19th century that were amassed substantially ...

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

File:Beck-Borély-plantes grimpantes.jpg, Floral plate File:Unterlinden-Théodore Deck-Plat (1).jpg, Plate, decorated by Joseph Victor Ranvier, 1870s, Musée Unterlinden, Colmar File:Unterlinden-Théodore Deck-Vase (2).jpg, Faïence vase, ca. 1870s, Musée Unterlinden, Colmar File:Unterlinden-Théodore Deck-Plat (2).jpg, Japanese inspired plate, c. 1875, Musée Unterlinden, Colmar File:Unterlinden-Théodore Deck-Naïade au repos (2).jpg, Tile, decorated by Joseph Victor Ranvier, 1870s, Musée Unterlinden, Colmar File:Plate, Joseph Theodore Deck - Indianapolis Museum of Art - DSC00669.JPG, Plate, decorated by Raphaël Collin, Indianapolis Museum of Art File:Unterlinden-Théodore Deck-Plat (3).jpg, Plate, decorated by Paul Helleu, 1884, Musée Unterlinden, Colmar File:Deck 20050711.png, Vase, signed by Joseph-Théodore Deck File:Chat bleu deck.jpg, Egyptian-style faïence cat,
Musée Théodore Deck,

File:Hauswand mit Portrait von Théodore Deck in Guebwiller.jpg, A home in Guebwiller decorated with Deck's portrait

Sources

Ceramics Today, ''Théodore Deck and the Islamic Style''

CBS Resource Library, ''Théodore Deck''

Bibliography

Théodore Deck, ''La faïence'', Quantin, Paris, 1887
300 p., complete text online at Gallica *''À la Mémoire de Théodore Deck. Érection d'un Monument à Guebwiller (Alsace), sa ville natale'', J. Dreyfus impr, Guebwiller?, 1911? * Jules-Antoine Castagnary, « Théodore Deck », in ''Revue Alsacienne'', 1880 *Antoinette Faÿ-Hallé, Françoise Fournière, Brigitte Grenier ''et al.'' (dir.), ''Théodore Deck ou L'éclat des émaux, 1823–1891'' (exposition catalogue, Marseille, Centre de la Vieille Charité, 1994, organized by the Musée Grobet-Labadié), Musées de Marseille, Marseille, 1994, *André Girodie, « Biographies alsaciennes : Théodore Deck », in ''Revue Alsacienne illustrée'', 1903, vol. V *André Girodie, ''Un céramiste alsacien : Théodore Deck'', Art & Industrie, Nancy, 1912 *J. Loebnitz, Article nécrologique sur M. Théodore Deck, in ''La Céramique et la verrerie'', 1891? *Sandor Kuthy, ''Albert Anker, faiences, en collaboration avec Théodore Deck'', Marguerat, Lausanne, 1985 *Alexandre Meichler (intro.), ''Théodore Deck : magicien du feu (1823–1891)'' (exposition catalogue, Guebwiller, City Hall, 1976), Alsatia, Guebwiller, 1976 *''Théodore Deck'' (catalogue de l'exposition au Musée Cantini, Marseille, 1980), Le Musée, Marseille, 1979? *''Théodore Deck : la véranda des glycines'', Musée du florival, Guebwiller, 1989 *''Théodore Deck : 1823–1891'' (préface Charles Haby), Musée du Florival, Guebwiller, 1991,

External links

Musée Théodore Deck
Théodore Deck Museum, City of Guebwiller, France

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Deck, Joseph-Theodore 1823 births 1891 deaths French decorative artists French ceramists French potters People from Guebwiller Artists from Haut-Rhin Art pottery