Ref.15278
Robert LALLEMANT, "High Jump" Vase, 1930

This vase was made in 1930 by Robert Lallemant on the occasion of the Grand Prix of the Stade Français. The ceramicist and decorator Robert Lallemant (Pau, 1902-Davos, 1954) attended the École des Beaux-Arts in Dijon before becoming interested in ceramics between 1921 and 1923. In 1926, his father, Théophile Lallemant, bought him a small ceramics factory in Paris; he managed the business until his death in 1928, which explains the presence of his initial in the signature on our vase, under its base: “T. R. Lallemant”. Robert Lallemant quickly invented a modern and original ceramic style, which he produced in small series. His work was well-received by critics at the Salons des Artistes Décorateurs and the Salons d’Automne in 1926, 1927, and 1928. He was among the founders of the Union des Artistes Modernes (UAM) in 1929. A few years later, he gradually lost interest in ceramics to produce furniture, and then got involved in his father-in-law’s public works business. In 1939, he joined the French Navy, and in 1945 and 1946, he went to Indochina, where he showcased his talents as a photographer. Among other popular themes in the 1920s and 1930s, Lallemant particularly focused on sports, producing several vases on this subject; he was a sportsman himself. Our vase reflects the influence of Art Deco on his work, notably with the stepped shoulders that frame it and its geometric shapes. At the center, an athlete is dynamically depicted in a high jump event. The decoration is characterized by a certain simplification of shapes and colors, aligning with contemporary painting trends. The glaze is brilliant and of high quality. The inscription at the base of the decoration indicates that this vase was commissioned to serve as a trophy for the winner of the high jump event at the 1930 Grand Prix of the Stade Français. Other vases of the same model, without this inscription, were also created by the same artist; the decoration of one of them represents a pole vault event in a style very similar to that of our “High Jump” vase. A photograph from the artist’s archives shows the importance of the sports theme in his work; it depicts a vase of the same shape as ours, decorated with cross-country runners. This photograph also shows that the same decoration could be adapted to different vase shapes.