Tray. Vanzype-Frezin, ca.1900

JULIA ADÈLE VANZYPE-FREZIN (Lessen, 1870 - Brussel, 1950)
Art Nouveau tray, ca.1900.
Silver-plated pewter.
Foundry H. Luppens & Cie.
Signed on the upper left side.
Exhibits wear consistent with age and use, some cracks.
Weight: 5500 gr
Measurements: 11 x 50 x 33 cm.

This tray is a representative piece of Belgian Art Nouveau, both for its formal language and for the organic integration of figure and ornament. Made of silver-plated pewter, it presents a free and undulating silhouette, with irregular edges that evoke the natural growth of leaves and stems, one of the fundamental principles of the style.

One of the sides features a female face in relief, with an idealized expression. Conceived as a structural part of the piece and not a mere ornament, it embodies the modernist taste for the fusion between the functional and the symbolic, as well as for the exaltation of the female figure as an allegory of nature, sensibility and modernity. The hair is intertwined with plant motifs that run along the frame of the tray, creating a visual continuity without hierarchies between figure and background.

The smoother central surface contrasts with the richly worked perimeter, reinforcing the sculptural character of the object and allowing the refined modeling of the metal to be appreciated. The presence of handles integrated into the very undulation of the rim underlines the unitary conception of the design.

The tray was made by the H. Luppens foundry, one of the most prominent in Belgium in the production of artistic objects in metal in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a regular collaborator of modernist designers.

Julia Adèle Vanzype-Frezin was a Belgian sculptor and designer active in the milieu of Art Nouveau and symbolism. She worked in both sculpture and decorative arts, collaborating with workshops and foundries that allowed the dissemination of her models in artistic editions.