Publish by Gazette Drouot International

Henri Husson is an artist whose work is rare on the market. He is the creator of this astonishing silver bowl featuring a fish whose body disappears beneath water lily leaves and two beetles.

At the 1873 World's Fair in Vienna, French silversmiths discovered Japanese silver and its decorations marked by a deep sense of nature. At the turn of the 19th century, the urge to create and innovate was palpable. The Union centrale des Arts décoratifs encouraged this trend. Flora and fauna were the new source of inspiration. Henri Husson was like a fish in water at the time... Just look at this bowl made around 1906. Will our little fish, a gurnard or red mullet, succeed in catching the beetle that has the temerity to venture out in front of him? Eyes fixed, mouth half-open, body hidden under water lily leaves... the tactic could prove successful. Only its armoured head, snout and tail emerge. There's no question of emitting the growl to which gurnards owe their name when wounded or taken out of the water. Our bowl flourishes in the naturalistic vocabulary typical of Husson, but the presence of the red mullet makes it unique. The artist was particularly attracted to the art of metal, and enjoys forging, embossing, chiseling and engraving. Just look at the bubbles on the surface, the delicacy of the fish scales, the carapace and antennae of the beetles, the veins of the water lily leaves flattened by the weight of the water, the vividness of the animals' expression, Husson even went as far as the handle of the bowl simulating a plant coil. While the object's purpose is utilitarian, it's the richness of its decorative vocabulary that's particularly noteworthy, as is the beauty of the metal's patina. For a dish in the Musée d'Orsay, Husson created a shell with a mermaid's head sculpted into its handle, while her hair extends through the seaweed. On his jewelry, he liked to depict insects posed in their familiar environment, on a clover leaf or on a coil of ivy. The latter symbolizes attachment, while the insect evokes the brevity and fragility of life. Established in Vétheuil, near Mantes, the goldsmith-dinandier collected butterflies and beetles, finding in the surrounding countryside almost inexhaustible material for invention. A truly unique artist, he has lived his life apart from trends and fashions. Born in Grand, in the Vosges, this locksmith's son trained with his father, while taking drawing classes in the evenings. For several years, he worked as an ironworker and furniture restorer for antique dealers. Discovered by the foundryman Adrien-Aurélien Hébrard, Husson emerged from anonymity around 1900 and embarked on a career in goldsmithing. In 1909, Hébrard held an exhibition of his work in his gallery on Rue Royale. He received rave reviews, as he did at the Salon des artistes français, from 1901 to 1911. A great admirer of his work, Jacques Zoubaloff (1876-1941) assembled an important collection and donated it to the Musée du Petit Palais, first in 1916 and then in 1922. Today, this Parisian institution holds the largest number of Husson’s works. Given the quality of this bowl and the rarity of his works on the market, we can only imagine a bidding war that won't end in disaster !


Henri Husson (1852-1914)
Coupe au grondin in silver decorated with a red mullet under water lily leaves and two beetles, the handle with plant scrolls, cast A. A. Hébrard, Minerve hallmark, circa 1906
42 x 33 cm/16.53 x 12.99 in.
Estimate: €30,000/50,000

DECORATIVE ARTS OF THE XXTH CENTURY
Tuesday 30 April 2024 - 15:00
Salle 6 - Hôtel Drouot - 75009 Paris