Attributed to Jacob Petit

Attributed to JACOB PETIT (Paris, 1796-1868).
"Flamenco dancers", ca. 1850.
Polychrome and gilded porcelain.
Measurements: 46 cm (x2).
Pair of figures in polychrome and gilded porcelain on a rock-shaped pedestal decorated on the front with a floral garland. Both protagonists are dressed in colorful and idealized costumes that transport the viewer to an earlier world of gallant and amiable scenes, imbued with the aesthetics of costumbrismo, which was highly popular during this period. In this particular case the author idealized the figure of some flamenco dancers, with affected and expressive poses.
Aesthetically the work follows the models of artist Jacob Petit (1796-1865), one of the most famous porcelain artists of the 19th century. After traveling extensively in Europe, he returned to France and established a modest porcelain manufactory in Sèvres in 1830. As his business expanded, he moved to a rented factory in Fontainebleau in 1834 and by 1838 was offering highly prized ornamental objects to a distinguished clientele.
His work was an innovative fusion of neoclassical, rococo and romantic elements that blended complex motifs and sculptural forms using a vivid and distinctive palette. He is generally credited with introducing Rococo into Parisian porcelain production in 1834, which was a radical departure from the prevailing neoclassical fashion.