JACOB PETIT
(1796 - 1868)

Porcelain sculpture depicting a young hunter, 19th century

Height x width x depth: 40 x 20 x 25 cm.

produced by the renowned Jacob Petit manufactory, depicts a young hunter or explorer. He wears colorful clothing with floral details and striped pants, yellow boots and a bright green hat, while holding a walking stick. The scene is set on a base decorated with rocks and vegetation. The high quality of the modeling and painting reflects the typical style of Jacob Petit, famous for his detailed figures and use of bright colors.

Literature:
Jacob Petit (1796–1868), born Jacob Mardochée, was one of the most celebrated French ceramicists of the 19th century, known for his ornamental porcelain pieces characterized by an eclectic and lively style.

Petit began his artistic training in the studio of the painter Antoine-Jean Gros, a pupil of Jacques-Louis David. In 1822, he joined the Sèvres Manufactory as a porcelain painter. After a period of travel and study in Europe, he published a collection of interior decorations in 1830–31. Together with his brother Mardochée, he purchased a porcelain manufactory in Fontainebleau and subsequently opened a workshop in Paris in 1863.

Jacob Petit’s porcelain is distinguished by its bold and imaginative forms, inspired by 18th-century Rococo, its vivid colors, elaborate decorations (floral motifs, mythological scenes, exotic elements, and gilded details), and the variety of his output, including vases, statuettes, clocks, tea and coffee sets, perfume bottles, and other decorative objects.

His works were often signed with the initials “J.P.”