Henri HUSSON (1852-1914) - Lot 153

Henri HUSSON (1852-1914) RARE ART NOUVEAU PITCHER In hammered and finely chased silver with vine branches in the handle in a granite surround and base Minerve hallmark Engraved signature below and number 550 and stamp of the artist and publisher A. Hebrard Paris H. 20 cm D. 553 g Born in Grand, Vosges, in 1852, Henri Husson was the son of a locksmith, and began by learning his father's trade, while taking drawing classes in the evenings. For several years, Husson worked as an ironworker and restorer for antique dealers. Husson lives in the countryside near Mantes, in a large house surrounded by a garden. Nature is his main source of inspiration. He reproduces field and meadow plants as faithfully as possible, on which he places insects imitated to perfection, as if cast from life. Husson, primarily a metal artist, is more rarely tempted to work with enamel or precious stones. The Russian-born collector Zoubaloff donated forty-two works by Husson to the Petit Palais in 1916 and 1922. Zoubaloff particularly admired Henri Husson, whom he compared to the greatest goldsmiths of the Renaissance. Thanks to this donation, the Musée du Petit Palais has the largest public collection of works by Husson.D. M.