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.
1960's Roger Capron Vallauris Ceramic Tiles & Oak Brutalist Table/Desk France
By Roger Capron
Located in bergen op zoom, NL
1960's French Brutalist Local Carpenter Crafted Solid Oak Table/Desk with Roger Capron Ceramic Herbaria Leave tiles produced by Vallauris The handcrafted tiles, which were produced...
Brass
$4,450
H 14.18 in W 46.86 in D 18.9 in
Roger Capron “Garrigue” Coffee Table with Botanical Tiles, France, 1960s
By Roger Capron
Located in Almelo, NL
Handcrafted Roger Capron coffee table featuring iconic Garrigue tiles with pressed botanical leaf imprints, produced in Vallauris, France. This large and decorative coffee table fea...
Ceramic, Beech
$2,929
H 13.78 in W 52.56 in D 22.64 in
Coffee table in oak and ceramic sandstone tiles by Roger Capron, France 1965
By Roger Capron
Located in Antwerp, BE
Designed by renowned French ceramicist Roger Capron, this exceptional coffee table dates to circa 1965 and showcases the designer’s unmistakable fusion of craftsmanship, nature and m...
Ceramic, Oak
Roger Capron, Coffee Table, Wood, Ceramic, France, 1960s
By Roger Capron
Located in High Point, NC
A wood and beige ceramic tile coffee table designed and produced by Roger Capron, France, c. 1960s. Overall Dimensions (inches): 10.75"H x 51.625"W x 24.5"D All items ship from Hig...
Ceramic, Wood
$4,670
H 13.78 in W 46.46 in D 22.84 in
Roger Capron “Garrigue” Ceramic Tile Coffee Table, France, 1960s
By Roger Capron
Located in Almelo, NL
Roger Capron “Garrigue” Ceramic Tile Coffee Table, France, 1960s This refined coffee table was designed by Roger Capron in France during the 1960s and belongs to his iconic Garrigue...
Ceramic, Beech
$4,800
H 13.5 in W 46.25 in D 17 in
Roger Capron “Garrigue” Rectangular Coffee Table, Ceramic Tile Top, France 1970
By Roger Capron
Located in Miami, FL
Rectangular coffee table with the famous Roger Capron Garrigue tiles, designed from 1968 to 1982. The handcrafted Garrigue tiles were produced by a technique in which real leaves w...
Ceramic, Fruitwood
$9,935
H 12.6 in W 21.26 in D 46.46 in
Coffee/cocktail table, stoneware tiles tabletop, Roger Capron, Vallauris 1970.
By Roger Capron
Located in Paris, Ile-de-France
Unusual coffee table with a thick tabletop made of 36 square sandstone tiles ( 22 tiles embossed with geometric patterns and 14 smooth tiles in the center ); the apron made of 26 re...
Stoneware, Beech
$3,740
H 15.36 in Dm 27.96 in
Roger Capron " Herbier " Ceramic Coffee Table - Vallauris, France - circa 1960s
By Roger Capron
Located in leucate, FR
This magnificent and highly collectible coffee table is an authentic piece by the renowned French ceramist Roger Capron (1922-2006), created in his studio in Vallauris during the mid...
Metal
$4,218
H 11.62 in W 27.56 in D 28.15 in
Roger Capron “Herbier” square ceramic coffee table, Vallauris, 1960s
By Roger Capron
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Square coffee table, “Herbier” model, by the famous French ceramicist Roger Capron, dating from the 1960s. Steel frame and ceramic tile top featuring the famous plant motifs. Tiles i...
Steel
$4,383Sale Price|25% Off
H 11.82 in Dm 48.43 in
Roger Capron Garrigue Ceramic Tile Coffee Table, Vallauris France, 1970s
By Roger Capron
Located in Antwerp, BE
Striking Mid-Century Modern coffee table designed by French ceramicist Roger Capron and produced in Vallauris, France, circa 1970. The circular tabletop is composed of handcrafted gr...
Ceramic, Wood, Stoneware
French Figural Ceramic Tile Coffee Table by Roger Capron, 1970s
By Roger Capron
Located in Chicago, IL
A French ceramic tile coffee table by Roger Capron, crafted in Vallauris in the 1970s. The surface is composed of hand-laid rectangular tiles in soft, sandy tones, arranged in a mea...
Ceramic, Wood
$14,648
H 13.39 in W 52.76 in D 27.17 in
Ceramic "Shogun" coffee table by Roger Capron, Vallauris, 1970's
By Roger Capron
Located in Paris, FR
Coffee table by Roger Capron Shogun model, large one Signed Wood feet France, Vallauris, 1970's
Ceramic, Wood
French Ceramic + Oak Coffee Table Attributed to Roger Capron, 1960s
By Roger Capron
Located in Chicago, IL
A French coffee table from the 1960s, attributed to Roger Capron, where symbolism and structure are held in careful balance. Circular in form, the table is anchored by a solid oak f...
Ceramic, Oak