A Vincennes bleu céleste cased presentation service, 1755-6

The forms used at Vincennes and Sèvres were quite often named in honour of designers, shareholders, dealers and the clientele of the factories. Of the present service the forms are associated with Calabre and Hébert: Pierre Calabre, a shareholder and either the secrétaire du roi Hébert or possibly the marchand-mercier Thomas-Joachim Hébert (see Savill, R. The Walllace Collection Catalogue of Sèvres Porcelain, London, 1988, Vol. II, 982-3). The three principle forms are discussed in relation to a déjeuner in the Royal collection, see de Bellaigue, G., French Porcelain in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen, London, 2009, Vol. II, no. 257, pp. 908-912. The ovoid teapot and cover (théière Calabre) was a form introduced in December 1752 which was produced in two sizes (of which the present example is of the smaller size) at Vincennes but then in six or more sizes following the move to Sèvres; it became the most frequently employed form of teapot at the factory. The sugar bowl and cover (pot à sucre Hébert) was introduced in two sizes in 1753 with a smaller size added in 1754-5 (the present sugar bowl and cover is of the second size). The milk-jug and cover (pot à lait Hébert) relates of plaster models recorded in the inventory of 1^st January 1754 with two further sizes introduced in 1755 and 1756. The form of the cups and saucers (gobelet Hébert et soucoupe) was introduced in October 1752 with two further sizes introduced in each of the following years.

Denis Levé (active 1754-1804/5) was a painter of predominantly flowers but also birds, ornaments and `cartels historiés’. A prolific and long-serving artist at the factory, he worked on a number of prestigious services including the bleu céleste service du Roi. Interestingly he is also paid, according to the factory ledger as applying the wash to drawings of plates in 1784 and again in 1793.

Vincent Taillandier (active 1753-1790) was a painter of flowers who came to Vincennes in August 1753 having previously worked at Sceaux. His work in miniature was particularly admired and he painted landscapes and birds as well as gilding and burnishing. He was a superb painter of intricate patterned borders and grounds and is remembered through the fond Taillandier, presumably a technique of his invension.

François (?) Binet (active 1750-1775) was a painter specialising in flowers. He was a fan painter before joining the factory at Vincennes in July 1750. Although considered a mediocre artist at first by about 1755 he had proved himself a reliable and fast worker. His son and daughter were recorded as a thrower and gilder respectively after 1775.

The turquoise-blue ground colour of the present service has been associated with Vincennes since 1753 and throughout the 18^th century. The Master of Colour, Jean Hellot claims to have discovered it and it is referred to as bleu ancient though the more common name bleu celeste has endured. The King, who admired the colour greatly, ordered it to be used on the first large Royal service which has been in the planning since 1751 and was delivered in three tranches between 24^th December 1753 and 31^st December 1755.

The silver spoons in the presentation service were supplied by the silversmith Sébastien Igonnet, with poinçon de décharge for Paris, 1750-56. The red morocco leather case, possibly supplied by Piérre Vente, is embossed with the coat of arms of a Princess de France, most likely Madame Adélaïde.

Marie Adélaïde de France (1732-1800) was the fourth daughter of Louis XV and Marie Leszczyńska and was referred to as Madame Adélaïde or Madame. She was raised at Versailles with her older sisters and her brother Louis, Dauphin of France rather than the Abbaye de Fontevraud where her younger sisters were sent. She was put in the care of Marie Isabelle de Rohan, Duchesse de Tallard, , governess to all the Royal children. She is said to have had the most insatiable desire to learn and was raised as a member of the court, learning music and studying Italian. She accompanied her father to the opera and, unusually, learnt to ride, accompanying the King on hunts from 1746. Madame Adélaïde was part of the Household of the older Royal daughters (Mesdames aînées); her younger sisters would form a separate household on their return to Versailles in 1748-50. This changed in 1752 following the death of her older sister, Madame Henriette when Madame Adélaïde was left with a Household of her own. This higher status and her natural strength of character and superiority meant that she came to dominate the group of the King’s unmarried daughters and with unfettered access to the King she was an influential member of the court, though the reality did not match her ambition. She preferred no to marry as no suitors of appropriate rank were available in the late 1740s and later she supposedly refused a suggested match with the widowed Carlos III. Between the death of Madame de Pompadour in 1764 and the rise of Madame du Barry, Madame Adélaïde again had some influence. Whilst her political aspirations were thwarted she had a close relationship with her father and attended him on his deathbed and the succession of her nephew, Louis XVI went to her for advice. This state of affairs was short-lived and she gradually distanced herself from court life, this was compounded by her poor relationship with the new Queen, Marie-Antoinette.  She survived the Revolution and fled to Rome and later the court at Naples and spent her final years in Corfu and Trieste.