Mithé Espelt

Large Freeform Gilded Mirror by Mithé Espelt, France, circa 1948

c. 1948

Mithé Espelt is a French ceramist whose work has long remained confidential, but is now enjoying a revival among 20th-century decorative arts and design collectors. Born in 1923 in Lunel, in the south of France, she grew up in an environment where art and crafts were central. After studying at the Beaux-Arts in Montpellier, she joined the artistic effervescence of Vallauris in the 1940s-1950s, a ceramics mecca where she rubbed shoulders with Pablo Picasso, Robert Picault and other major figures in the ceramics revival. Early on, she set herself apart by moving away from utilitarian pottery to explore more intimate, decorative forms. Far from the rustic ceramics and shiny glazes in vogue at the time, Mithé Espelt developed a singular technique combining finesse, texture and gilding. Her pieces, mainly mirrors, boxes, jewelry and small ornaments, are characterized by carefully worked surfaces and delicate graphic compositions. Her mirrors, undoubtedly her most emblematic works, do not just reflect an image: they become windows into a sensitive world, where gold, pastel hues and pure forms converse in harmony. Mithé Espelt has always cultivated a certain discretion. She did not sign her works, nor did she seek to enter the traditional art gallery circuit. Her creations were distributed on a confidential basis, notably by objets d'art boutiques and luxury houses. This absence of a signature contributed to her name going unrecognized for many years, even though her style was immediately recognizable. Today, her work is being rediscovered and appreciated for its singularity and timelessness. Her pieces, a combination of refined artistry and decorative art, embody discreet elegance and exceptional savoir-faire. Mithé Espelt reminds us that art can slip into everyday objects, transforming the simplest mirror into a work of art in its own right.