Porcelain Fruit on a Tray

This beautiful rendering of an orange (or kumquat) and blossoms on a tray is the work of the French artist Jacob Petit (1797 – 1868). The initials JP are inscribed on the base. There are several chips and a broken stem, but it is still an amazing display of artistry.

Jacob Petit, born Jacob Mordecai, was a well-known and celebrated French manufacturer of porcelain in the 19^th Century. After studying drawing in the studio of Antoine-Jean Gros, a follower of Jacques-Louis David, Petit joined the famous Sevres Manufactory in 1822, where he painted porcelain wares. After travelling and studying throughout Europe, upon his return to France in 1830-31 he published a complete collection of interior decorations. Together with his brother, Petit bought a porcelain factory in Fontainebleau and, later, a workshop in Paris, where his work became distinctive for their ornamental character, delicate, pastel colors and their reinterpretation of the neo-Rococo of the early 19^th Century.