Welcome to my store.
I am offering a part of the heritage of my family and other relatives, or even close ones, and there are many objects that have been in the same hands for several years.
No doubt when you receive this good you will enjoy it as much as others did in the past.
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BEAUTIFUL ANTIQUE MARTIAL THOUMIEUX LIMOGES FRENCH ART, ENAMEL ON COPPER LANDSCAPE PAINTING, SIGNED, WOODEN FRAME.
"French rural landscape with an old watermill"
Very Good - Circa 1915
Ideal gift for special occassions, also a great item for painting collectors. In a rectangular shape, insert in a wood frame, a "French Rural Landscape with an Old Watermill" artwork on copper, with delicate color details. The polished oak or mahogany frame has some minor surface imperfections, nothing important, typical of its age. Received by Inheritance. No original packaging.
This beautiful work is an enamel on copper plate created in the renowned artistic region of Limoges, France, and signed by the French master enameller Martial Thoumieux, a prominent French artist and enameller who had his active workshop in Limoges. The elegant handwritten inscription in gold at the lower left corner clearly reads "M. Thoumieux / Limoges."
It depicts a classic and peaceful French rural landscape with an old watermill beside a stream, surrounded by vegetation in soft, autumnal tones.
The Limoges enamel on copper technique enjoys great historical prestige, characterized by the firing of glass powders onto metal at extremely high temperatures, which gives the colors their distinctive brilliance, texture, and durability.
About the Artist and Format
Martial Thoumieux is highly valued by international collectors, primarily for his high-quality miniature works, which range from exquisite Art Nouveau brooches, medallions, and decorated snuffboxes to bucolic French landscapes on copper plates like this one.
The dimensions of the piece confirm that it is a cabinet or collectible miniature, expressly designed to be enhanced by the imposing frame with its deep molding and gilt reliefs. Its weight of nearly one kilogram comes from the robustness of this classic wooden frame and the density of the small metal plate inside.
Item Highlights:
Artist: Hand-painted and signed in gold script by the renowned master enameler Martial Thoumieux ("M. Thoumieux / Limoges") on the bottom left corner.
Origin: Limoges, France (Circa 1915).
Medium: Polychrome enamel on a copper plate.
Frame: Housed in a heavy, deep-profile classic dark wood frame featuring an elegant beaded gilt inner border.
THE TECHNIQUE used in this work is enamel painting on copper (in French, émail peint), a craft specialty born and perfected in the city of Limoges, France, from the late Middle Ages through the Renaissance. Unlike traditional oil or watercolor painting, this technique uses no oil, canvas, or paper. Instead, it involves painting with glass and fire through a highly complex process:
1. The Metal Base: A plate of pure copper, previously molded and cleaned, is used. A first layer of transparent or base-colored enamel is applied to both sides. This prevents the metal from warping when heated.
2. The Glass "Pigments": What appears to be paint is actually finely ground and powdered glass. This glass powder is mixed with essential oils (such as lavender or iris oil) to give it a paste-like consistency. Only then can the artist apply it with very fine brushes, spatulas, or needles.
3. The Technique of Layers and Successive Firings: The enameler does not paint the entire piece in one go. Apply a color or a section of the landscape and place the plate in a special kiln at extreme temperatures (between 750°C and 850°C). In the kiln, the glass powder melts, vitrifies, and permanently adheres to the copper. The painting is removed from the fire, allowed to cool, and the artist paints the next layer or the finer details. A single work like this requires multiple successive firings (sometimes between 5 and more than 10). If the timing or temperature is off by even a few seconds in the final firing, the entire piece can crack and be destroyed.
4. Gold Details (Final Touches) In 20th-century Limoges works, the golden highlights and the artist's signature (M. Thoumieux / Limoges) are created by applying genuine low-melting-point liquid gold over the last vitrified layer, giving it a final light firing to fix it. The result of this technique is a painting with a three-dimensional crystalline luster and eternal color intensity, since vitrified glass never fades, does not oxidize, and is completely immune to the passage of time.
Measurement:
Plaque Size: 6" x 4" (15 x 10 cm)
Frame Size: 12.5" x 10.2" x 2.0" (31.6 x 26 x 5 cm)
Weight: 34.6 oz (980 g).
Please check all the information, including the Seller Notes Field and all the photos available, they are part of the listing information.
Shipments are made with appropriate and sufficient protection. Large, heavy, or fragile items are meticulously packed with professional materials, using bubble wrap, double-layered envelopes/cardboard, and a sturdy box to ensure safe transport.
IMPORTANT: I offer combined shipping. Many of my items have free shipping if send together, and for the rest, shipping will be 50% or less of the cost indicated for each item if shipped together (large items are send individually only).
How to get the best combined shipping?
When you add the different items you want to your cart, to request an invoice, click the "Request total from seller" button on the right.
To pay, wait to receive the updated invoice with the combined shipping costs and then make your payment. I usually send the invoice within 12 hours or less, often within minutes (between 9 AM and 7 PM, GMT-3), even on holidays.
Regarding the offer, please read this information carefully:
The approved return refund will be limited to the sale price of the item at maximum. Shipping costs, insurance, import fees, tariffs or related costs outside of the sales price are the responsibility of the buyer.
Please do not hesitate to contact me for any inquiry about them.
Shipments are delivered in 3 to 7 business days.
Thank you for the preference and trust!