Jules Jouant

JULES JOUANT (Paris, 1863- Cherisy, 1938).
Tabletop centerpiece "Dream", ca. 1900.
Silver-plated pewter.
Signed on the right side of the base.
Letter mark E on the back.
Bibliography: Philippe DAHHAN, Étains 1900, 200 Sculpteurs de la Belle Époque, Les Éditions de l'Amateur, Paris, 2000, reproduced p. 205, fig. 590.
Weight: 8.000 g.
Measurements: 30 x 30 x 22 cm.

The piece, completely identifiable with the Art Nouveau style, presents a complex decoration in relief dominated by the figure of a young nude woman lying down and sleeping between the two upper mouths. The lower part of the body exhibits a duality of images, combining faces in relief of characters with crustaceans.

Jules Jouant was a French sculptor who studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris and was one of Auguste Rodin's pupils. Although he exhibited busts of notable figures (such as Prince Gedroyc in 1883 and musicians such as Wagner, Chopin and Beethoven), his greatest fame is due to his decorative pewter objects in pure Art Nouveau style. His extensive production (vases, lamp bases, jugs, etc.) was made by prestigious foundries such as Barbedienne, Eugène Blot and Ettlinger Frères. Jouant, who also collaborated with the Daum workshops, received an honorable mention at the 1913 Salon and was appointed professor at the École Boulle in Paris.