Round silver tray, the border with fillet... - Lot 132 - Jean-Marc Delvaux

Round silver tray, the border with fillet moldings, engraved in the center with a scene representing the birth of Venus, by Roger Vieillard. Goldsmith SAVARY, Paris, end of the 19th century-beginning of the 20th century. Diameter : 33,3 cm - Weight : 573 g Roger Vieillard (1907-1989), French engraver, burinist and illustrator. A student of the British and Polish engravers Stanley William Hayter and Josef Hecht, he initially embarked on a career as a banker. Between his assignment at the National Bank for Commerce and Industry and his collaboration with the New York Stock Exchange, his profession allowed him to travel and remain financially independent throughout his life. Already strongly influenced by his artistic heritage, grandson of an earthenware manufacturer in Bordeaux and great-grandson of the painter Albert Magimel, student and friend of Ingres, he discovered the world of engraving in the early 1930s. It was his friend the painter Jean Bazaine who introduced him to Atelier 17, an engraving workshop founded in 1933 by Stanley William Hayter and which originated in the home of Josef Hecht. It was frequented by the greatest modern artists including Marc Chagall, Salvador Dali, Pierre Alechinsky, William de Kooning, and many others. Little by little, Roger Vieillard became familiar with the work of engraving and it was in 1937 that he really joined this creative place for two years. He was trained in the burin technique, of which he became a specialist. His work, characterized by incisive and precise lines and a singular style, will quickly arouse the interest of Parisian art dealers. His first solo exhibition was held in 1943 at the gallery of Jeanne Bucher. It will be followed the following year by the publication of his first collection: Landscapes of France. A few years later several museums and biennials will present his work where he will be exhibited alongside Jacques Houplain and Michel Ciry in Rotterdam, at the Venice Biennale, in Sao Paulo and in many Parisian galleries. In 1967, he retires as a banker to devote himself only to his creations and the exhibition of the engraving. He will organize a presentation of the work of his friend engraver Jacques Villon in Lisbon. After his retirement and while continuing to experiment with the technique of engraving, he collaborates between 1971 and 1972 with the manufacture of Sevres for which he will create decorations on porcelain of high quality. He also worked on silverware pieces, our tray being a good example. Made by the Master Goldsmith Savary, it reveals in its center a finely engraved composition representing the birth of Venus. His work, so singular, shows a will of surpassing the technique and the development of the modern engraving. More than a hundred of his engravings are today preserved by the cabinet of prints of the National Library of France. His porcelain and silverware are less referenced but our tray is a rare testimony to the preciousness of Roger Vieillard's creations.