Sèvres (redirected from Sèvre)

Sèvres (sĕv`rə), town (1990 pop. 22,057), Hauts-de-Seine dept., N central France, on the Seine River; a residential suburb SW of Paris. The famous Sèvres ware porcelain is made in the town, which has a ceramics museum founded by Alexandre Brongniart and a ceramics school. Explosives, surgical supplies, and beer are also produced. Sèvres is the headquarters of the International Center for Pedagogic Studies.

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Sèvres 

a city in France, in Hauts-de-Seine Department, located on the Seine River; southwestern suburb of Paris. Population, 20,000 (1968). A center for the manufacture of porcelain art objects, Sèvres has a ceramics museum. The International Bureau of Weights and Measures is located in Sèvres.

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Sèvres 

a fine porcelain produced at a plant in Sèvres, near Paris. The porcelain plant was moved from a castle in Vin-cennes to Sèvres in 1756.

In the mid-18th century Sèvres porcelain was predominantly rococo in style; classicistic tendencies prevailed, however, from the 1770’s to the 1830’s. Porcelain ware produced at Sèvres was decorated with elaborate encrusted ornamentation, usually against a colored background. Biscuit was the most commonly used material in the preparation of individual figures and group pieces. The models, distinguished by flowing line and graceful composition, were designed by S. L. Boizot, J. Le Riche, and E. M. Falconet, each of whom at one time headed the Sèvres sculpture workshop. Models based on drawings by F. Boucher were also used. Soft porcelain was initially used, but in 1800 its manufacture was discontinued. By the early 1870’s hard-paste porcelain was produced at Sèvres.

In the 20th century, the Sèvres plant has retained leadership in the production of fine French porcelain. Recent designers have included such prominent artists as J. Lurçat.

REFERENCES

Biriukova, N. Iu. Frantsuzskaia farforovaia plastika XVIII veka. Leningrad. 1962.
Tilmans, E. Porcelaines de France. [Paris, 1953.]