Roger Capron is best known for his geometrically complex, vibrantly colored tile-topped coffee tables. These mid-century furnishings, with their comely palettes and playful arrangements of abstract forms or natural-world motifs, are approachable yet sophisticated. They draw on Scandinavian modernism and exemplify the Parisian ceramist’s belief in ensuring that things of beauty are easily and widely accessible, a principle espoused by French decorative artist and designer René Gabriel.
Capron graduated in 1943 from the School of Applied Arts in Paris. In a small atelier he later founded with Robert Picault and Jean Derval in Vallauris, Capron made alluring sculptures, table lamps and other objects and found inspiration in the work of Pablo Picasso, who had also opened an atelier in the region. He parted ways with his fellow ceramists in 1952 in order to open his own manufactory, Atelier Capron.
Initially staffed by a handful of workers, Atelier Capron captured international attention. His pieces were sold in stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Gimbels. Later, Capron’s wife, Jacotte, studied art and became a valued collaborator. Owing in part to her expertise in mixing pigments and glazes, Capron’s best-known ceramics feature dazzling colors and whimsical characters. Like Picasso, he experimented with many artistic styles and never settled on one technique for too long. His coffee tables, side tables and decorative objects are among the most enduring and coveted designs of the mid-century modern era.
While Capron’s factory had grown tenfold by 1980, it shut down a few years later after a slew of competitors began mass-producing cheaper imitations.
Capron won an award at the Milan Triennial in 1954 and International Grand Prize for Ceramics in 1970. His works have been displayed in the Musée National de la Céramique and the Musée Magnelli.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Roger Capron ceramics, tables and other decorative objects and furniture.
$2,400Sale Price|20% Off
Large 20th Century Ceramic Vase w/ Flowers, French Artist
By Roger Capron
Located in Beachwood, OH
Roger Capron (French, 1922-2006) Vase Ceramic Signed on bottom 15.75 x 6 inches French ceramist Roger Capron was born in Vincennes in 1922. He studied at Paris’s School of Applied A...
Ceramic
Vase à oreilles
By Roger Capron
Located in PARIS, FR
Sublime ear vase by Roger Capron. Tanniferous earthenware, blue kerosene decoration in reserve, measuring 26 x 25 x 22 cm. Signed “Capron Vallauris”.
Earthenware
Vase
By Roger Capron
Located in PARIS, FR
Sublime glazed ceramic vase by Roger Capron, measuring 21 x 12.5 cm. Signed
Ceramic
Vase Coq
By Roger Capron
Located in PARIS, FR
Stunning glazed ceramic rooster vase by ceramic artist Roger Capron
Ceramic
La Galère, 1950 - ceramic, 46x132x5
By Les Argonautes
Located in Nice, FR
Very Big Ceramic from "Les Argonautes" Vallauris Workshop "Les Argonautes", Vallauris: Isabelle Ferlay (1917-?) And Frédérique Bourguet (1925-1997) Isabelle Ferlay and Frédérique Bourguet founded their ceramic workshop in Vallauris in 1953, which they named "Les Argonautes", in reference to the famous Greek epic. Isabelle studied painting at the Fine Arts school of Lyon in 1940, then she attended the Fine Arts in Marseille. Finally, she finished her artistic training in Montpellier, at the Fontcarade national school, where she learned ceramics. Françoise dit Frédérique Bourguet studied at the Beaux-Arts in Montpellier until 1945 and it was in Sèvres, in Françoise Bizette's studio, that she trained in the art of ceramics. She created her first workshop in Paris in 1945, which she shared with Valentine Schlegel until 1951. The two women ceramicists then practiced modeling technique. It was in 1953 that she met Isabelle Ferlay and together, they decided to set up a workshop in Vallauris. They produce shaped pieces, sometimes molded, made of earthenware, enamelled in bright colors. In the 1970s they made stoneware cooked over a wood fire. Some ceramists frequented their workshop, notably the very talented Jacques Innocenti and François Raty.
Ceramic
$7,900
H 9.25 in W 6.25 in
KPM Porcelain Plaque - Proper Woman with Carved Gilt Wood Frame
Located in Jacksonville, FL
Frame Size: Hight: 15.50″ x Width: 12.50″ Frame Thickness: 3″ Picture Size: Hight: 9.25″ x Width: 6.25″ Immerse yourself in the presence of a distinguished gentleman with this exceptional Antique KPM Porcelain Plaque...
Porcelain
$1,400
H 12.75 in W 17.75 in D 7.5 in
PAX (BETWEEN TIMES) - Geometric Sculpture Vintage Salvaged Building Materials
By Brian Jobe
Located in Signal Mountain, TN
Brian Russell Jobe (American, b. 1981) is an artist and non-profit director based in Knoxville, Tennessee. Jobe's studio practice is focused on sculptur...
Concrete, Marble
Contemporary Black Porcelain Dahlia Wall Sculpture
Located in Savannah, GA
This contemporary porcelain wall sculpture by Heather Knight, founder of Element Clay Studio (est. 2007), is a large-scale work exploring botanical form through repetition, symmetry,...
Ceramic, Porcelain
Grayson Perry - Portrait Plate 1
By Grayson Perry
Located in London, GB
bone china with lustre rim 21 cm diameter Grayson Perry hallmark on the back. These decorative plates are inspired by the artwork The Great Beauty, 2024. The original piece is a cab...
Ceramic
$28,000
H 16.74 in Dm 1.19 in
Pablo Picasso Joie de vivre (A.R. 346), 1956, stamped and marked ceramic
By Pablo Picasso
Located in New York, NY
PABLO PICASSO (1881-1973) Joie de vivre (A.R. 346) stamped and marked 'Madoura Plein Feu / Empreinte Originale de Picasso / R=C 102' (underneath) white earthenware ceramic plate with...
Ceramic, Earthenware, Glaze
$20,000
H 9.75 in Dm 4.75 in
Chouetton Ceramic Owl by Picasso, 1952, Stamped, Edition of 500
By Pablo Picasso
Located in New York, NY
This beautiful and delicate Pablo Picasso ceramic Chouetton (Young Wood Owl), 1952 inhabits all the qualities unique to Picasso's limited œuvre of ceramic works. Known for his series...
Ceramic, Earthenware, Glaze
Julian Opie - Running - Contemporary Art, Artist Plate
By Julian Opie
Located in London, GB
Running by Julian Opie - Artist Plate Fine Bone China Edition of 175 Printed signature and edition details on verso comes with the original presentation box.
Ceramic
Grayson Perry - Portrait Plate 2
By Grayson Perry
Located in London, GB
bone china with lustre rim 21 cm diameter Grayson Perry hallmark on the back. These decorative plates are inspired by the artwork The Great Beauty, 2024. The original piece is a cab...
Ceramic
$850
H 21.5 in W 18.5 in D 2 in
Taizan Tile Portrait of a Woman Vintage Mosaic Panel
Located in Astoria, NY
Taizan Tile, Portrait of a Woman Mosaic Panel, mid-20th century, marked "Taizan" lower left, giltwood frame. Image: 11.5" H x 9" W; frame: 21.5" H x 18.5" W x 2" D. Provenance: Fro...
Ceramic
The Busty Dog
By Marc Zimmerman
Located in Carmel, CA
This masterpiece is exhibited in the Zimmerman Gallery, Carmel CA. Dive into the whimsical realm of mystique with this utterly enchanting totem. Crafted with meticulous detail, this...
Clay, Wood, Glaze
$1,322
H 10.52 in Dm 10.52 in
Virgil Abloh, Life Itself - Contemporary Art, Artist Plate
Located in London, GB
Life Itself by Virgil Abloh - Artist Plate Fine Bone China Edition of 250 Printed signature and edition details on verso comes with the original presentation box.
Ceramic