Bleu de Sèvres is a dark color, close in tonality to navy blue with a strong cobalt hue. The glaze dates to the 1770’s when Sèvres perfected the secretive hard paste porcelain techniques of ancient Chinese ceramicists. The new porcelain composition then unfolded a wide scope of new glazes and possibilities which gave birth to Sèvres’ most iconic and sought-after color — Bleu de Sèvres.

Originally founded in 1740 at Vincennes, a team of master-ceramicists and scientists made it their mission to further advance current porcelain making techniques in Europe. The workshop garnered the attention of Madame de Pompadour — one of France’s legendary patron of the arts, a Marquise, and official mistress of Louis XV. In 1758 she persuaded the King to bestow the porcelain makers with Royal Warrants and to build for them at Sèvres a magnificent manufacture.

From its inception, Sèvres built a large portfolio of artists collaborations including pieces created by François Boucher, Auguste Rodin, Louise Bourgeois, Ettore Sottsass and Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann among others. The manufacture also gained worldwide recognition for its significant innovations and contribution to the science of porcelain manufacturing. This characteristic allowed the manufacture a wide palette of patented glazes and idiosyncratic styles such as the sinuous shapes and iconic pigments most closely associated with Sèvres porcelain.

The pieces on view in ‘Bleus de Sèvres’ exemplify the depth and finesse of Sèvres’ glazes through modern and contemporary pieces that incorporate Bleu de Sèvres. The exhibition offers a refreshing look at Sèvres’ historic blue through works by six artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.