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a sculpture of a man sitting on top of a stoola sculpture of a bathroom with a toilet and sinka paper sculpture of a bathroom with a toilet and a sinka picture of a picture of a man and a woman on a bencha figurine of a woman sitting on top of a pillara figurine of a woman holding a cat on top of a shelfa bathroom with a sink and a tiled wall behind ita bathroom with a tiled wall and a birdbatha wooden sculpture of a car with a yellow wheel on ita white sink sitting in front of a wall with blue and white tilesa bird that is sitting on a pedestal in front of a walla cat sitting on top of a piano keyboarda picture of a sculpture of a bathroom with a bird on the sinkseveral drawings and notes are on top of a piece of paperan image of a folded map on top of a piece of paper
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206 - Jean Derval (French, 1925–2010)
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Estimate €40,000 - €60,000
Sale commission
Description
Jean Derval (French, 1925–2010) Fountain with Angel and Basin, 1989 Glazed ceramic. Signed. Height approx. 200 cm; width approx. 280 cm. Never installed. A restored piece. Provenance: - private commission, Mrs Sylvie Galland, Champigny-sur-Marne (letter from Derval enclosed); - private collection, Puy-de-Dôme. Derval, the post-war ceramicist A graphic designer and poster artist trained at the School of Applied Arts, Jean Derval discovered the craft of ceramics at the Maubrou-Pigaglio studio in Saint-Amand-en-Puisaye, then at La Borne under Paul Breyer. In 1947, he joined the ceramists Robert Picault and Roger Capron in Vallauris, where they worked alongside Picasso at the Madoura studio. The unique pieces they created at that time blended anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures, Cubist and abstract influences from the Andalusian master, as well as mythological and religious references drawn from their origins and devout upbringing. Architectural ceramics During the 1960s, Jean Derval took a different path from his contemporaries and turned his attention to architecture and monumental design. Whilst remaining faithful to the one-off piece, this change of scale compelled him to return to geometry and the drawing board. He learnt to experiment with the thickness, shape and dimensions of each tile, in contrast to the standardised productions of other ceramicists. He then worked with architects, such as Philippe Roberty, for their clientele in Paris and on the Côte d’Azur. During the 1970s and 1980s, he created fountains with successive overflows, three of which are documented. These hybrid works lie at the crossroads of sculpture, architecture and glazed ceramics. He also ventured into monumental art as part of the ‘1 % artistique’ scheme, as at Sophia Antipolis. A mature work Never installed, this ‘Fontaine à l’ange’ dates from 1989. It is accompanied by all the original plans and documents. This particular commission represents a mature work for the artist, in which he revisits several earlier compositions, such as the geometric figures from a project carried out for the INPI or his ‘water-bearer’ conceived in 1985. The various influences that characterise his work are brought together here: antiquity, as seen in the column; Cubism; and a form of Orientalism, particularly evident in the treatment of the palm fronds. How, then, can one fail to see in this composition a metaphor for water falling from the sky and bringing life, lending this monumental work a dimension that is at once symbolic, architectural and poetic? Nicolas Clery
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About the sale ARTS+DESIGN #10
Auction location
Auction time 11/08/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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