Auguste Guilbert-Martin French, 1826-1890

Maryse de Stefano-Andrys, "L'atelier de mosaique Guilbert-Martin", in Des cheminées dans la plaine: Cent ans d'industrie à Saint-Denis, Saint-Denis, Musée d'art et d'histoire, 1998  pp. 86-92. 

Overall very good condition and presentation. Of impressive scale and presence. Frame contemporary to the mosaic and presumed original, with rubbing and wear to gilt edge visible in the catalogue image. Almost all mosaic intact and in good condition, fairly even surface with slight undulation in areas. One 1/4 in. area of repair to draper of female 'Venice' figure, also one 1/4 in. piece of mosaic glass missing in the center.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The industrialist Auguste Maximilien Guilbert-Martin (1826-1900) was a driving force behind the revival of mosaic art in France, which had previously been practiced almost exclusively by Italians. In the last quarter of the 19th century there was growing enthusiasm from architects and developers across Europe to incorporate mosaics into floors, walls, ceilings, patios and other exterior features.

Guilbert-Martin, a trained chemist, was the proprietor of an important enamel factory in Grenelle, a small neighborhood in the southwest of Paris. In 1878, he was awarded the gold medal at the Universal Exposition in Paris for his presentation of a thousand different hues. His enamels became so successful that he opened a second atelier specifically for the manufacture of mosaics. His first public work, commissioned by the city of Paris in 1888, was installed in the apse at l’Eglise de la Madelaine and took five years to complete.

In 1896, he was commissioned to complete the tomb of Louis Pasteur at l’Institut Pasteur. The project would become the grandest of his public architectural works. Other notable public works under the direction of Guilbert-Martin include l’Opera-comique, the Pantheon, and the Palais-Royal theater.

The allegorical painting after which the present mosaic is copied, more commonly entitled Nettuno che offre doni a Venezia (Neptune Offering Gifts to Venice), was painted by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770) around 1745. It now hangs in the Palazzo Ducale, Venice.