Treasures by Taxile Doat: TEFAF Maastricht 2019

MASTER OF PORCELAIN

 

Taxile Maximin Doat was born in Albi, France, in 1851. He moved to Paris when he was twenty-four and after studying at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts from 1875 to 1877, he joined the prestigious Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres, where he began to master the art of ‘pâte-sur-pâte’ on stoneware and porcelain under Marc-Louis Solon. By 1898 Doat also operated in his own private workshop in Sèvres, 47 rue de Brancas, just a stone's throw away from the Manufacture, which allowed him to experiment with different types of shapes, glazes and techniques, often more modern than the classical, albeit perfectly executed pieces he would make across the street. While he never abandonned traditional subjects from Greek or Roman mythology, Doat was also interested in a variety of exotic influences, the most important of which, at the time, was undoubtedly Japan.

 

Japonism was already a very important movement, dating back as far as the London Universal Exhibition of 1862, but its role in ceramics was made even stronger towards 1890-1895, through the work of artists like Ernest Chaplet or Jean Carriès. Doat fell in love with this style, which he combined beautifully with new decorating and high-temperature firing techniques called Grand Feu. The first decade of the twentieth century made him a true master and his reputation quickly reached the United States, especially after his text ‘Les céramiques de grand feu’ was translated into English by Samuel Robineau and published in 1905.

 

In 1909, he was invited to Saint Louis by the American Woman’s League and offered the position of director at the newly founded Art Academy in University City, Missouri. He and his assistant Emile Diffloth were the only French artists chosen in a team which also included distinguished ceramists Adelaide Alsop Robineau and Frederick Hurten Rhead. Doat moved to America, bringing over 170 pieces with him to use as models and references for his new creations, what is now called his University City period. His tenure, which culminated in the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exhibition in San Francisco, made him one of the most famous French artists of his time. Unfortunately his American Dream was halted by the Great War and in 1915 he returned to France and to his house in Sèvres. Before leaving America he sold the pieces he had brought and made during that time to the City Art Museum of Saint Louis. They remained in the museum’s collection until 1945 when a large group was deaccessioned and dispersed at auction. Most of the Doat pieces which can be found in old American collections are likely to have come from that sale. Doat was of course too old to be mobilized on the front, but his international reputation was used to fight German disinformation overseas. After the War he went back to making ceramics and again exhibited at the Salon des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He continued to work on modern techniques and more efficient kilns to obtain new types of glazes. Despite being over eighty years old, his Art Deco production was incredibly rich and fascinating. He died on 13th May 1938 at the age of 87.