Dinner Service (Rousseau service): Large fish in a Japanese style (no. 19) - Félix Bracquemond

A refined etching by Félix Bracquemond, featuring a fish rendered in the Japanese style for the famous Rousseau dinner service.

This etching by Félix Bracquemond originates from the celebrated Rousseau service, a dinner set commissioned by the Parisian porcelain dealer Eugène Rousseau. Bracquemond, a key figure in the French printmaking revival, drew inspiration from Hokusai Manga, a collection of woodblock prints that reached Europe in the mid-nineteenth century. This specific plate depicts a large fish, rendered with precise, rhythmic scales that suggest movement through water. The composition incorporates botanical elements, specifically morning glory leaves, arranged with the asymmetry characteristic of Japanese art.

Bracquemond was among the first European artists to integrate the aesthetic principles of ukiyo-e into Western decorative arts. By stripping away traditional European shading and perspective, he adopted a flatter, more graphic approach. The lines are clean and deliberate, prioritising the silhouette and the texture of the subject over atmospheric depth. The Rousseau service itself became a touchstone for the Japonisme movement, influencing contemporary designers and collectors who sought to move away from the heavy ornamentation of the Second Empire.

This print captures the intersection of industrial production and fine art. While intended for transfer onto ceramic plates, the etching stands as a work of art in its own right. The negative space is utilised to create a sense of fluidity, allowing the fish to appear as if it is swimming across the surface of the paper. The work demonstrates Bracquemond's technical mastery of the etching needle, which he used to replicate the appearance of brushwork found in Japanese ink paintings. It remains a clear example of how cross-cultural exchange shaped the visual culture of late nineteenth-century France.