Claudius Popelin

good condition, very finely carved frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Claudius Popelin (1825-1892) is celebrated as the father of the revival of Limoges enamelling techniques in France in the second half of the 19th century. He started as a pupil of the painter Ary Scheffer and exhibited in the Salon in 1857-1859, before joining the enamelling workshop which had been opened by the Sèvres factory in 1845. Under the supervision of Alfred Meyer, Popelin passionately discovered and improved enamelling  techniques. His enthusiasm was such that he published in 1866 a history of enamelling and its techniques entitled L'Émail des peintres. This oeuvre inspired many artists after him such as Paul Grandhomme (see lots 7, 19, 57, 58).

Popelin’s genius was to create enamel plaques in the Renaissance taste, fulfilling the bourgeoisie’s desire for Historicist fashion, such as the portrait of Napoleon III as Caesar, or Allegories of Veritas or La Renaissance des Lettres. His first exhibition was at the Union Centrale in 1863 but the exhibition of 1865, presenting various Renaissance enamels from the Cluny Museum alongside Popelin's production, was considered the resurgence of this fashion. 

Claudius Popelin was also a close friend of Princess Mathilde, or her lover according to some, as well as celebrated poets such as Theophile Gautier who wrote the following verse: ‘mais toi, Mon Claudius, tu fixes ta pensée; / Tel que l’ambre une fleur, l’immercessible émail / Contre les ans vaincus, abrite ton travail.’