Marc-Louis Solon

Marc-Louis Solon (1835 – 1913) was a French artist who moved to Stoke-on-Trent in 1870. He remained resident in England until his death.

He is probably best remembered as a leading exponent of the technique of ceramic decoration called pâte-sur-pâte. His work commanded high prices in the late Victorian period. One of his vases, believed to be his largest, is on display at Osborne House.

Early life

Solon was born in Montauban, Tarn-et-Garonne. Despite some family resistance to his becoming an artist, he studied with Horace Lecoq de Boisbaudran.^[1] Some of Solon's work came to the attention of the art director of the Sèvres Pottery. Solon was employed there as a ceramic artist and designer, and he learnt the technique of pâte-sur-pâte.

Move to England

Solon moved to England at the time of the Franco-Prussian War. He found employment at Mintons Ltd, and settled at Nº1, The Villas, Stoke-on-Trent.^[2] Mintons experienced more demand for pâte-sur-pâte ceramics than Solon could meet working on his own, and from the 1870s he trained a number of English apprentices including Frederick Alfred Rhead.

Collecting activities

In 1883 he published "The Art of the Old English Potter", a book about pottery produced before Josiah Wedgwood transformed the industry. Solon describes items of pottery which he had collected in his spare time while living in Staffordshire.

He also collected books about ceramics, and after his death the library was acquired by the local technical college with funds provided by the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust.

References

1. ^ http://www.thepotteries.org/biographies/solon_louis.htm
2. ^ [1]

External links

• Potteries Museum & Art Gallery Examples of pâte-sur-pâte are to be found in the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery in Hanley, Staffordshire, whose collection includes items from the former Minton museum. The website has a search facility which allows you to view images of pâte-sur-pâte (if you type in the keyword "Solon").

Persondata
Name	Solon, Marc-Louis
Alternative names	Solon, Louis-Marc
Short description	Potter
Date of birth	1835
Place of birth	Montauban
Date of death	1913
Place of death