Le Coureur
Plate
ca.1850 (made)
ca.1850 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This is one of a set of plates decorated with equestrian circus subjects made in France in the mid-19th century by the Creil and Montereau pottery, a business which operated until 1895 and was created from the amalgamation of two potteries, one at Creil-sur-Oise, north of Paris, established in 1797, and another at Montereau, south of Paris, established in 1748. Louis Lebeuf and Etienne Thibault operated the business from 1825 to 1833, and the wares were stamped 'Creil and Montereau' and 'Lebeuf Milliet & Cie.' from about 1840 until the death of Lebeuf in 1876.
Earthenware made at the Creil factory was the first French pottery to use transfer printing on earthenware. By reproducing engravings on different topics they created several sets of plates, including 'Le Nouveau Paris', views of the city, and another of views of Switzerland. Equestrian acts were very popular in French circus during the 19th century, at a time when there were several permanent circus buildings in Paris. The act known as 'The courier of St. Petersburg' shown on this plate imitated the journey of a courier from St. Petersburg to Moscow and involved the rider picking up the reins of another horse every time he circled the ring.
Earthenware made at the Creil factory was the first French pottery to use transfer printing on earthenware. By reproducing engravings on different topics they created several sets of plates, including 'Le Nouveau Paris', views of the city, and another of views of Switzerland. Equestrian acts were very popular in French circus during the 19th century, at a time when there were several permanent circus buildings in Paris. The act known as 'The courier of St. Petersburg' shown on this plate imitated the journey of a courier from St. Petersburg to Moscow and involved the rider picking up the reins of another horse every time he circled the ring.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | Le Coureur (manufacturer's title) |
Materials and techniques | Printed and glazed porcelain |
Brief description | Plate featuring an image of the equestrian circus act Le Courier,or The Courier of St. Petersburg.Transfer-printed porcelain by Lebeuf Milliet & Cie. French, ca.1850. Antony Hippisley Coxe Collection. |
Physical description | Glazed earthenware plate featuring a coloured transfer image of an engraving of a French equestrian performing the circus act of 'Le Courier'or The Courier of St. Petersburg. The equestrian is holding a trumpet and standing on a horse which is cantering from left to right. He is dressed in green jacket, cream breeches and a pink sash, and the horse has a pink plume on his bridle. The rim of the plate is decorated with alternating motifs of a cantering horse, laurel wreaths surrounding a helmet from a suit of armour, and horses' heads. 'Le Coureur' is written below the image in uppercase lettering. Leboeuf, Milliet & Co. of Creil and Montereau, France used their LM & Cie mark from 1841, the date the company was founded by Louis Martin Lebeuf (1792-1854) and Jean Baptiste Gratien Milliet (1797-1875) and used until the business folded in 1895. |
Dimensions |
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Marks and inscriptions |
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Credit line | Antony Hippisley Coxe Collection |
Object history | Exhibited in the V&A circus display, Gallery 104A, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the foundation of circus, April 2018 to February 2019 |
Production | The mark for Lebeuf Milliet & Co.states their locations as 'Creuil et Montereau' and that they gained a gold medal in 1834 and 1839. |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | This is one of a set of plates decorated with equestrian circus subjects made in France in the mid-19th century by the Creil and Montereau pottery, a business which operated until 1895 and was created from the amalgamation of two potteries, one at Creil-sur-Oise, north of Paris, established in 1797, and another at Montereau, south of Paris, established in 1748. Louis Lebeuf and Etienne Thibault operated the business from 1825 to 1833, and the wares were stamped 'Creil and Montereau' and 'Lebeuf Milliet & Cie.' from about 1840 until the death of Lebeuf in 1876. Earthenware made at the Creil factory was the first French pottery to use transfer printing on earthenware. By reproducing engravings on different topics they created several sets of plates, including 'Le Nouveau Paris', views of the city, and another of views of Switzerland. Equestrian acts were very popular in French circus during the 19th century, at a time when there were several permanent circus buildings in Paris. The act known as 'The courier of St. Petersburg' shown on this plate imitated the journey of a courier from St. Petersburg to Moscow and involved the rider picking up the reins of another horse every time he circled the ring. |
Associated objects | |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | S.87-2007 |
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Record created | June 1, 2007 |
Record URL |
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