Oval Coffee Table Signed Roger Capron

Oval coffee table signed R.Capron for Roger Capron (1922-2006), circa 1960. Tray surrounded by wood, with circular decoration of a herbarium inlaid in ceramic tiles, on a quadripod base in stained beech. Length 103 cm, width 91 cm, height 29.5 cm. . Roger Capron, French ceramist, born in Vincennes in 1922, died in 2006, studied at the School of Applied Arts in Paris from where he graduated in 1943 and worked for a while as a teacher. In 1946, Roger Capron moved to Vallauris in the south of France and founded the ceramic workshop “Atelier Callis” with the ceramists Robert Picault and Jean Derval. Located along the French Riviera, the town of Vallauris is renowned for its production of pottery dating back to Roman times. During the post-war period, the city experienced a renaissance of this craft, as many artists (such as Picasso) arrived here to work with old materials and techniques. Atelier Callis begins to produce small objects for the home, deliberately modest and designed for everyday use. The popularity of French ceramics at that time gave Roger Capron the opportunity to expand his business. In 1952, he separated from Robert Picault and Jean Derval and opened his own small factory, Atelier Capron, which employed around fifty workers. A few years later, Roger Capron's reputation was established. In 1980, his factory employed around 120 people and specialized in tiled coffee tables, which made Roger Capron famous today. Its success attracted imitators and in 1982 the factory had to close because of the competitiveness of the producers of cheap and mass tiles. Like Picasso, the design aesthetic of Roger Capron is constantly evolving, as he works in different styles from the 1950s. At the start of his career, Capron was a supporter of the Free Forms movement, characterized by by undulating lines and expressionist motifs. From the 1960s, it evolved into a more controlled, modernist style, with shiny varnishes and showy geometric patterns. Roger Capron has received numerous awards during his career including the gold medal at the Milan Triennale and at the Expo '58 in Brussels, the Grand Prix International de la Cermique in 1970. In 2000, the New York Times wrote that Capron was “one of the most prolific and important architects of post-war European design”.