Pair of Art Nouveau planters, ca. 1900

Pair of Art Nouveau planters, ca. 1900.
Glazed porcelain.
Measurements: 120 x 40 x 40 cm and 104 x 35 cm.

The two planters up for auction are interesting examples of decorative ceramics associated with Modernism, sharing an ornamental style based on organic forms and nature. Both stand on slender pedestals and support vessels with curved, mixtilinear profiles, enriched with profuse floral decoration partially modeled in relief. Flowers, sinuous stems, leaves, scrollwork, and medallions cover the surfaces, enhanced by a brilliant polychromatic palette dominated by shades of green and pink. Despite their formal and chromatic differences, the two lots share a preference for fluid lines, the integration of structure and ornament, and the prominence of the plant motif—features that are fully characteristic of Modernism and Art Nouveau from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, movements that granted ceramics a prominent role within the decorative arts.