André METTHEY (1871-1920) - Lot 206

André METTHEY (1871-1920) Enameled and gilded stoneware straight-necked vase with yellow, blue and gold decoration of draped female figures surrounded by birds in flight. Signed below the base with the monogram AM and the trefoil. H. 18 cm (A piece of wood blocked inside the vase, formerly mounted as a lamp) André METTHEY is today considered one of the great precursors of art ceramics. His encounter with the art dealer Ambroise Vollard led him to collaborate with numerous painters, including Maurice Denis, Henri Matisse and Georges Rouault. These works were shown at the Salon d'Automne in 1907, but it was above all his personal production that won him acclaim, with a monographic exhibition in 1909 at the Palais Galliera. He died prematurely in 1920, leaving behind a significant body of work, exhibited in major museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of New York, the SHiodome Museum in Tokyo and the Annonciade in Saint Tropez. His innovative style and perfect mastery of enamels on stoneware made him the perfect bridge between Art Nouveau and Art Deco, which was still in its infancy at the time, heralding the works of Cazeaux and Mayodon. Our vase is particularly emblematic of his latest style, blending bright colors and antique-style human forms.