JACQUES & DANI RUELLAND (1926-2008) & (1933-2010) - Lot 131

JACQUES & DANI RUELLAND (1926-2008) & (1933-2010) Large flared bowl, sometimes called a Chinese hat. Mottled taupe glazed ceramic proof. Signed RUELLAND under the base. Height: 13cm - Diameter: 32cm One crack restored. Bibliography and related works: Jean-Jacques et Bénédicte Wattel - Les Ruelland céramistes - Éditions Louvre Victoire, Paris, 2014. A variant reproduced on page 170. Jacques Ruelland and Dani, née Danielle Dupin, united in life as in artistic creation, met in Paris, where Jacques trained in painting at the École des Beaux-Arts and Dani took up sculpture at the Grange studio. They married in 1951, a year after beginning their collaboration on ceramics. Dani's own approach to materials and volumes was combined with Jacques' approach to color in this new shared medium. At first, they were naturally influenced by the Vallauris experience. Gradually, they affirmed their mastery of working with clay and its appearance, particularly from 1955, with the use of manganese oxide. This marked the beginning of a production process that would become characteristic of their art: vases, bowls, bottles, lamp bases and boxes followed one another in a profusion of brilliantly colored glazes - the off-center necks of the vases, giving an asymmetrical aspect to the works, became a signature of their creations. The artist couple make sure to model each piece individually, which lends uniqueness and character to the creations, assembled in true families of works. Over the years, however, the shapes stabilized, becoming more refined without ever radically changing - making it difficult to date their creations precisely. In the 1960s, the Ruellands' production shifted towards softer, pastel-toned glazes, covering a chromatic range from black and beige, to powder pink and light green, which the couple superimposed in thin opaque or transparent layers.