Pottery by Marc-Auguste Bastard in CERAMICA CH

Roland Blaettler, 2019

The Gesellschaft Schweizerischer Maler, Bildhauer und Architekten (Swiss Society of Painters, Sculptors and Architects) lists Marc-Auguste Bastard (1863–1926) as a pottery painter and decorator from 1901. He appears to have studied at the École des Arts Industriels (School of Engineering) in Geneva, possibly attending the ceramics class taught by Joseph Mittey. We can, however, assume that Bastard exhibited a pair of vases made of “faience, glost fired” as early as 1885 at the annual exhibition staged by the City of Geneva at the Musée Rath. He is listed at no. 9 in the catalogue as a student at the school.

Mittey only taught pottery decoration and did not train ceramicists in every area of pottery production. This meant that Bastard had to hire potters to shape and fire the ceramics he wished to decorate. The Musée Ariana houses eight ceramic objects – mainly slipped earthenware – that are signed by Bastard: seven of these were purchased in 1902 and 1903 from the former Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Museum of Decorative Arts) in Geneva. According to the inventory, they were made by the Poterie des Pâquis (Inv. C 0293, C 0296 to C 0300 and C 0304). The final object (Inv. C 0525), made by the Liotard Pottery in Ferney-Voltaire, is of a later date and was purchased between 1908 and 1910.

Bastard presented some of his decorated tableware at the National Exhibition in 1914. The panel of experts praised the originality of the motifs but pointed out that the technical execution was lacking in quality (Bern 1914, 75). However, the medium of pottery was only one part of his creative endeavours. At the municipal art exhibition at the Musée Rath in 1921, for instance, he presented a folding screen (no. 410 in the catalogue). One of his most popular works was an advertisement poster for Meuse beer printed around 1896 by Lemercier in Paris (gallica.bnf.fr). Bastard also decorated glass and created stained-glass church windows (Church of Saints Peter and Paul, Confignon Canton of Geneva) and architectural ornamentation.

Issue no. 10 of the journal Heimatschutz – Patrimoine from 1915 lists the address of a merchant selling glass and ceramic objects by Auguste Bastard: 6 Rue Carteret in Geneva.

In 1913, Bastard, along with his friend Hélène de Mandrot, was among the founders of L’Œuvre, the French-speaking section of the Schweizerischer Werkbund. He was a regular guest at the Maison des Artistes at La Sallaz Castle, which was managed by de Mandrot. Bastard and de Mandrot collaborated on exhibitions staged by the society (Baudin 1998, 18, 25–27, 45). De Mandrot appears to have purchased – or been gifted – a ceramic object by Bastard (CLS MURO 57).

Translation Sandy Haemmerle

References:

Baudin 1998
Antoine Baudin, Hélène de Mandrot et la Maison des artistes de La Sarraz. Lausanne 1998.

Berne 1914
Schweizerische Landesausstellung in Bern. Fachberichte. Band VI. Berne 1914.