Dictionnaire International Peintres Miniaturistes Peintres Sur Porcelaine Silhouettistes

First Published in 1997. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The tumultuous years of the French Revolution left France’s prestigious decorative arts industries poised on the brink of ruin. It was not until after the fall of the monarchy and the ascendancy of the Consulat and Empire under Napoleon that they began to recover so that by the middle of the nineteenth century they stood at the pinnacle of their achievement. This book is the first in depth study of the renowned porcelain works at Sèvres during its virtual rebirth under the 47 year direction of the scientist, teacher, and administrator Alexandre Brongniart. Some 110 working drawings from the Sèvres Archive are reproduced here for the first time in color. They celebrate the high skill of the artists whose work often documented contemporary events in France. There are table services in the 'Egyptian' and 'Etruscan' taste as well as individual pieces that recall Napoleonic military campaigns. There are also exquisite Neoclassical decorations using motifs such as birds, butterflies, and insects that reflect the century’s early fascination with the natural sciences. The repertoire of nineteenth century eclecticism is evident in the output of Sèvres from the revival of Gothic and renaissance motifs to the outburst of naturalism. Eleven essays by leading authorities assess this dynamic period.

Few reference books can match the scope, or depth, of this guide to the best miniature painters, porcelain painters, and silhouettists in the world. With over 1,400 pages, the "International Dictionary Miniature Painters, Porcelain painters, and Silhouettists" provides crucial information and examples on every artist, from all countries and periods.

"This bibliography supplements the greatest of modern art bibliographies, Etta Arntzen and Robert Rainwater's Guide to the literature of art history (ALA, 1980)"--Preface.