Parisian Service (Haviland service): The Moon (no. 5) - Félix Bracquemond

A delicate etching by Félix Bracquemond, created as a design study for the Haviland Parisian Service, reflecting the influence of Japanese woodblock prints.

This etching by Félix Bracquemond belongs to the celebrated Parisian Service, a dinnerware commission for the Haviland porcelain factory. Bracquemond, a central figure in the French etching revival, drew heavily upon Japanese woodblock prints for this project. The composition reflects the aesthetic principles of Japonisme, which gained significant traction in late nineteenth-century France.

The image features a sparse, asymmetrical arrangement of wading birds and bamboo stalks, set against a vast, empty space. A crescent moon hangs in the upper quadrant, providing a sense of atmospheric depth. The lines are delicate and precise, demonstrating Bracquemond's technical mastery of the etching needle. By eschewing traditional Western perspective in favour of a flatter, more decorative approach, the artist captures the quiet observation of nature found in the works of Hokusai and Hiroshige.

Bracquemond designed these motifs to be transferred onto ceramic plates, yet the prints themselves possess a distinct artistic autonomy. The registration marks visible at the sides of the plate indicate its function as a preparatory study for the final porcelain decoration. This work provides a clear view into the intersection of fine art and industrial design during the period. The restraint in the composition allows the viewer to focus on the economy of the line and the balance of the negative space. It is a refined example of how European artists adapted Eastern visual languages to suit contemporary decorative tastes.