Provencal Pottery Reflects The Warmth Of Southern France

By Author: Carolyn Clayton
Total Articles: 129
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Provence is situated in the south of France along the Mediterranean Sea. Mediterranean art work often reflects the warmth of a climate graced with warm breezes and lands which bear olive vines and wine grapes. Provencal pottery depicts images which suggest that French potters have been influenced by similar cultural factors to those which can be seen in Greek and Spanish art work.

One similar feature is the prevalence of bright colours among the pieces one finds for sale on the internet or in dedicated shops. Warm, creamy maize forms the backdrop for vivid shades of blue or deep reds. Customers who like these kinds of colours can fix on a particular shade found in a set and use it to establish a theme, adding pieces painted in just one deep shade and adding napkins of the same hue to a table setting.

Olive and other shades of green are also popular, but this makes sense considering the images that are represented on the mugs and plates. Vines are common, often bearing young or ripe olives. Certain green stems lead to small, bright flowers of all hues. A bouquet of these blossoms might be supported against a sheaf ...
... of wheat so that an entire place setting suggests a meal of freshly baked bread served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

In contrast with modern abstract art work a tourist might see at a gallery in Paris, products created in Provence demonstrate the importance of geometry to regional style. Although vines trail and meander, they do so in a linear pattern. Olives or flowers appear at regular intervals in a controlled fashion around pots and cups.

This linearity retains a sense of flow whether represented on pottery or linens. A bowl will often be filled with the painting of a minutely-proportioned bouquet which accentuates the roundness of the vessel. At the same time, precise characteristics can be picked-out which indicate how much care was taken to balance the entire image.

Within sheaves of wheat, one might notice that the grains are delineated with angular certainty. These are much like mosaic patterns exhibited on the floors of ancient ruins all along the coast. A feature like this shows a similarity between ancient Greek and modern characteristics among works from artists of southeast France.

Another aspect of Provencal pottery which reflects its geographical origins is the shapes these articles take. Narrow, rectangular dishes could hold marinated olives, ripe cheeses, or sun-dried cherry tomatoes. Squat, chubby pots would be ideal for storing garlic.
Boutique Provencale offer a huge range of Provencal tablecloth style home accessories including dishes Pottery which will give any home that French country feel.