Plate from the 'Rousseau' service

This plate is from a large ceramic service designed by the French artist Félix Bracquemond, called the “Rousseau” service. Named for the patron, Eugène Rousseau, for whom Bracquemond designed the service in 1866, this is the first example of Japonisme in French decorative arts. As such, it is a landmark object in the history of the influence and role of Japanese art and culture in European decorative arts, with influence on important movements like Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Arts and Crafts.

Bracquemond is one of the critical figures in French printmaking, design, and decorative arts of the second half of the 19th century. His initial successes at the Exposition Universelle in 1855 propelled him to the center of Parisian artistic life. As one of the first artists to become interested in Japanese prints, he began incorporating elements such as asymmetrical designs and naturalistic motifs into his work. Rousseau, a fellow ceramicist and glassmaker, was an early proponent of Japonisme and supported Bracquemond’s interest in the material. Bracquemond drew inspiration directly from Japanese prints, specifically Hokusai’s "Kwacho Garden" and "Manga", and Hiroshige’s "Ukiyo Ryusai Gwafa" and individual prints by Hiroshige as well as other sources, many of which are in the MFA’s unrivalled collection of Japanese prints.