Sèvres porcelain painting: "Le Port de Marseille"

Sèvres, 1822
Porcelain diameter: 19 cm

This piece is a finely painted porcelain medallion from the Sèvres manufactory, depicting a bustling early 19th-century scene of the Old Port of Marseille (Vieux-Port). The harbor is alive with detailed sailing ships, animated figures, dockside activity, and nuanced architecture under a delicately rendered sky. The precision of the clouds, sea, sails, and costumes attests to the exceptional quality of Sèvres porcelain painting in the 1820s.

Originally the central image of a decorative plate, the medallion was later removed and mounted in a solid black wood frame by a former collector, turning it into a framed artwork. The current frame is simple and sober; it could be replaced with a giltwood or bronze frame to better suit its refinement.