Little Cat With Cushion By Geo Martel At Desvres

This polychrome earthenware piece, which appears in the earthenware catalog under number 2250, represents a black cat sitting on a cushion in Delft decor. It was probably made in the years 1910-1920 and bears the signature of Geo Martel.

Desvres earthenware brings together the productions of the three factories of Desvres (Pas-de-Calais) and Boulogne-sur-Mer, belonging to distinct families but grouped under the name Desvres.
In 1748, the Boulongne family of potters was present in Desvres and made tiles there until 1848. The Level family took over in 1850, followed in 1900 by Georges Martel (1872-1942), known as Geo Martel .
His talent as a draftsman and his research on enamels led him to reproduce high quality earthenware in handmade imitation of the old Delft earthenware, prestigious or more popular, which had become fashionable at the end of the 19th century, as well as than other earthenware factories such as Rouen or Moustiers.
Under the impetus of this couple of artists who were Géo Martel and his wife, their pottery became a place of training and exchange, a kind of "residence of artists", especially in the years 1920-1930, who contributed to his fame.


Bibliography:
Delft's heritage in Desvres / earthenware from Géo Martel; Faton editions
http://geo.martel.desvres.free.fr/
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fa%C3%AFence_de_Desvres
https://www.musee-ceramic-desvres.com/
https://faience-de-desvres-terra-incognita.fr/4-la-formation-artistique-de-geo-martel/