Auguste Ledru

AUGUSTE LEDRU (Paris, 1860-1902).
Vase "Dream", 1894.
Silver-plated pewter.
Signed on the bottom.
Stamp Susse Freres, Paris 1894.
Weight: 2500 g.
Bibliography: Philippe DAHHAN, Étains 1900, 200 Sculpteurs de la Belle
Époque, Les Éditions de l'Amateur, Paris, 2000. Reproduced p. 242, fig. 706.
Measurements: 23 cm (height), 16 cm (largest diameter).

This Art Nouveau silver-plated pewter vase was produced in 1894 by the prestigious Susse Frères foundry. The piece, designed by Auguste Ledru, depicts a complex aquatic scene: Neptune stands at the vase's spout, while an aquatic nymph coils around the body of the vase and a fish appears to swim on its base.

Auguste Ledru, a pupil of figures such as Dumont and Boisseaux, was a sculptor and ornamental designer who also collaborated with his father, sharing his name and profession. Ledru was a regular participant in the Salon de la Société des Artistes Français (1883-1902), where he won several distinctions, most notably a second-class medal in 1896 in collaboration with his brother-in-law, the celebrated René Lalique. His collaboration with publishers such as Maison Susse (the oldest French art foundry, founded in 1758) and Thiébaut underlines his importance in the decorative art of the time.