Clérissy faience factories
| Company type | Faience manufacturer |
|---|---|
| Industry | Ceramics |
| Founded | 1677 (Marseille), c. 1679 (Moustiers) |
| Founder | Pierre Clérissy (Moustiers), Joseph Clérissy (Marseille) |
| Defunct | 1733 |
| Headquarters | Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, Marseille, Varages , France |
Area served | France |
| Products | Faience pottery |
The Clérissy faience workshops, also known as ateliers Clérissy, were the foremost manufacturers of Moustiers faience, operated by the Clérissy family in the towns of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, Marseille, and later Varages in France. The family maintained their faience production across these sites until the year 1733.
Moustiers
The word faience, referring to tin-glazed pottery, originates from Faenza in Italy, a prominent center for this craft during the 15th and 16th centuries. Around 1679, Pierre Clérissy (born circa 1651), descending from a family of local potters, founded the initial faïence workshop in Moustiers. Starting in 1702, his son Antoine became involved, and together they were the only Clérissy members producing faïence there until 1715. The factory also employed painters such as François, Gaspard, and Jean-Baptiste Viry.
From 1679 until approximately 1730, the Moustiers Clérissy workshop was renowned for its exquisite monochrome cobalt blue decoration on white faience. Their repertoire included large game plates in the Louis XIV style featuring mythological or religious imagery, motifs inspired by Jean Bérain the Elder introduced around 1710, alongside floral designs framed with ornamental borders—styles reflecting sophisticated tastes favored by high-end patrons.
Numerous plates painted by Gaspard Viry bear signatures and portray hunting scenes derived from engravings by Antonio Tempesta, sometimes closely copied and at other times enhanced with additional elements. Jean-Baptiste Viry also replicated Tempesta’s work but with his own distinctive interpretation. Pierre Clérissy crafted vases depicting Greek mythological subjects, carefully reproducing prints by Frans Floris.
Marseilles
Joseph Clerissy, Pierre’s brother, established the first faience factory in the Marseille area around 1677 at Saint-Jean-du-Désert. His descendants continued managing it until 1733. Following Joseph’s passing, François Viry—who married Joseph’s widow Anne Roux—oversaw operations from 1688 to 1697. Subsequently, Joseph’s son Antoine Clérissy directed the business from 1697 to 1722, initially leasing a facility at Saint-Michel before moving to Joliette in Marseille, where he worked until 1732. Antoine died in 1748.
This factory specialized in Baroque-style ceramics predominantly decorated with blue hues outlined in manganese. Their designs took inspiration from artists such as Simon Vouet and Nicolas Poussin and depicted historical, mythological, religious, and romantic themes. The workshop’s output is recognized for its restrained color schemes and elegant ornamentation.
Varages
On November 23, 1695, Joseph and Honoré Clerissy—nephews of Pierre Clérissy from Moustiers—founded a faience factory in Varages, a location conveniently situated between Moustiers and Marseille. Their brother Jean-Baptiste later joined their enterprise, aiding its expansion. Varages produced faience resembling Moustiers’ styles, including blue-painted pieces inspired by Italian prints and designs by Berain, Boulle, and Torro. The factory was also distinguished for its polychrome grotesques reflecting the Pompadour style as well as Chinese-influenced motifs rendered in vivid colors characteristic of Marseille ceramics. By the late eighteenth century, Varages had emerged as a notable rival to Moustiers.
Gallery
The Musée de la Faïence de Marseille showcases a vast assortment of artifacts originating from the Clérissy manufactory in Marseille, along with items produced in Moustiers.