Marc-Louis Solon
| Marc-Louis E. Solon | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | 1835 Montauban |
| Died | 23 June 1913 |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | porcelain artist |
| Known for | pâte-sur-pâte |
Marc-Louis-Emmanuel Solon (1835 – 23 June 1913), pseudonym Miles, was a French porcelain artist for Sèvres Pottery who moved to Stoke-on-Trent in 1870 to become a leading artist at Mintons Ltd. He remained resident in England until his death. His work commanded high prices in the late Victorian period as a leading exponent of the technique of ceramic decoration called pâte-sur-pâte. One of his vases, believed to be his largest, is on display at Osborne House.
Solon was born in Montauban, Tarn-et-Garonne. Despite some family resistance to his becoming an artist, he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts and with Horace Lecoq de Boisbaudran. Some of Solon's work came to the attention of the art director of the Sèvres Pottery. Solon was employed there from 1862–70 as a ceramic artist and designer, and he learnt and greatly improved the technique of pâte-sur-pâte. His subjects included portraits, female figures, putti, small animals, and birds, in styles derived from Classical Greece, the Renaissance, 17th- and 18th-century paintings, and Victorian postcards.
Solon moved to England in 1870, at the time of the Franco-Prussian War. He found employment at Mintons Ltd, and settled at Nº1, The Villas, Stoke-on-Trent. Mintons experienced more demand for pâte-sur-pâte ceramics than Solon could meet working on his own, and from the 1870s he trained a number of English apprentices including Frederick Alfred Rhead.
Solon married Laure, the daughter of Minton's art director, Léon Arnoux. Their eldest son, Léon-Victor Solon (1872–1957), joined Minton in the 1890s and became art director (1900–09). Leon made an important contribution to art nouveau ceramics at Minton before moving to the USA. Other sons include Albert Solon of Solon and Schemmel Tile Company and Camille Solon.
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