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Lot Essay
Antoine Salomon has confirmed the authenticity of this work.
Kerr-Xavier Roussel, a member of the Nabis group and the brother-in-law of Edouard Vuillard (1868-1940), made only a few ceramics. He is known to have worked with the ceramicist André Metthey (1871-1920), with whom he produced some plates. The present tile Deux femmes is an early work in this medium. Claire Frèches-Thory dates it to around 1892. This date excludes in all likelihood the participation of Metthey who was then still only an apprentice. Claire Frèches-Thory wrote about Deux femmes's style: 'This tile, with strong colour contrasts of lemon-yellow and dark green is close to Roussel's lithographic style. The figures are allusive, pictured in a timeless garden. The subject and the treatment are both symbolist, suggesting an early date in the artist's career, probably around 1892' (Exh. cat., The Nabis, Paris, 1990, no. 210, p. 387).
Kerr-Xavier Roussel, a member of the Nabis group and the brother-in-law of Edouard Vuillard (1868-1940), made only a few ceramics. He is known to have worked with the ceramicist André Metthey (1871-1920), with whom he produced some plates. The present tile Deux femmes is an early work in this medium. Claire Frèches-Thory dates it to around 1892. This date excludes in all likelihood the participation of Metthey who was then still only an apprentice. Claire Frèches-Thory wrote about Deux femmes's style: 'This tile, with strong colour contrasts of lemon-yellow and dark green is close to Roussel's lithographic style. The figures are allusive, pictured in a timeless garden. The subject and the treatment are both symbolist, suggesting an early date in the artist's career, probably around 1892' (Exh. cat., The Nabis, Paris, 1990, no. 210, p. 387).