About the Author

Published research has appeared in Ars Ceramica, The Magazine ANTIQUES, the Transactions of the English Ceramic Circle, the Journal of The American Ceramic Circle, in the Dutch journal for ceramics and glass, Vormen uit Vuur, in the Northern Ceramic Society Newsletter, and the German periodical KERAMOS. She also helped translate into English the field reports on the excavations of the Dutch Loosdrecht porcelain manufactory for a publication (De Loosdrechtse Porseleinfabriek boven water, 2007).

In June, 2007 she spoke on “Fidelle Duvivier: New Attributions from the Netherlands” at the International Ceramics Fair and Seminar in London (a speech summary appeared in the 2008 ICFS Handbook).

In 2011-2012 she conducted research on a group of fifteen Giles-decorated Worcester plates with puce camaïeu decoration and their engraved sources, for which she was awarded a grant by the Cumming Ceramic Research Foundation, Toronto (published in the ACC Journal, 2013).

(Note: all of the articles mentioned can be viewed at the website www.academia.edu and www.researchgate.net – under her name).

Her first book, In the Footsteps of Fidelle Duvivier (2016), describes the artist’s decoration for the French Sceaux manufactory (with examples on Mennecy porcelain as well).

Charlotte’s other ceramic interests range from shipwreck porcelain to Pueblo Pottery of the Southwest. In 2019 she researched a group of Southwestern Pueblo pottery examples that were ordered in 1894 for the Keramikmuseum of the Villeroy & Boch company in Mettlach, Germany. Her article on the story of how these pieces came to Mettlach was published in 2021 in Ceramics in America.

The Ceramics Circle study group she founded in 1992 has been her main motivation for writing about ceramic topics seldom investigated in English.

She is continuing her research on Fidelle Duvivier and Louis Victor Gerverot for future publications.

* Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

“Fidelle Duvivier: How twelve pieces of English Porcelain helped identify his work prior to 1785” (50 min.)

For many years the ceramics decorator, Fidelle Duvivier, has been best known for the landscape vignettes and figural scenes he painted mainly on English New Hall porcelain in the late 1780s. This lecture explains how his English work helped to identify earlier decoration done on the Continent, and features many new discoveries, including examples done for the Sceaux manufactory near Paris (c. 1766-68/c. 1775), and in the Nether-lands (for Loosdrecht and the Lyncker family of The Hague, c. 1780-84). Similarly, it illustrates how the work done in France and the Netherlands influenced his later style in England.

“New attributions – Fidelle Duvivier in the Netherlands” (50 min.)

Born in Tournai, this widely-traveled decorator is best known for the landscape vignettes and figural scenes he painted mainly on New Hall porcelain in the late 1780s. This lecture looks at newly discovered and attributed pieces dating to c. 1780-84, when Duvivier was working in the Netherlands for Joannes de Mol at Loosdrecht and the Lyncker family of The Hague. The historical background of the 18th-century porcelain manufactory at Loosdrecht as well as the (controversial) decorating establishment in The Hague will be discussed – with newer details not mentioned in standard porcelain literature. The Loosdrecht manufactory was excavated in 2000-2005, and the field reports published in 2007. The remarkable examples of Fidelle Duvivier’s painted decoration, found mainly in Dutch private and public collections, will be compared to his later work in Staffordshire.

“Flights of Fantasy – the bird painting of Louis Victor Gerverot” (50 min.)

After learning his first skills as an apprenticed porcelain painter at Sèvres, the young Gerverot left France in 1766 for Germany and began a long career that took him to numerous manufactories. Some of them, e.g. Kassel, Fürstenberg and Frankenthal, briefly employed him as a bird-painter. Although not mentioned in surviving Frankenthal documents, Gerverot’s stay there must have been long enough for him to paint several important service pieces, as evidenced by work that has come to light in past years. By 1769 in Weesp (Netherlands), he was also employed as the manufactory’s color chemist during the last two years of production. While at Weesp his own highly unconventional style of bird painting began to evolve, one which was far removed from French traditional or any other style of the day. Returning to Germany, Gerverot entered his most creative and prolific period at Höchst (ca. 1771-1773), painting tea and coffee services plus other tablewares for this manufactory. A few rare specimens of his later bird painting, done primarily for the Dutch manufactory in Loosdrecht (1775-1779), have only recently been discovered (or found near the excavated site of the manuactory), and these will be featured in this talk as well. A comparison of Gerverot’s Dutch and German work, side by side, furnishes visual evidence of his extraordinary talent and techniques, while bringing to light important characteristics by which his hand can be identified.

“A Giles Italianate Service: Fifteen Worcester Plates Reveal a Decorative Grand Tour” (55 min.)

A discussion of fifteen Worcester plates decorated in puce camaieu at the London workshop of James Giles. In 1935 one of these plates was given to the Victoria and Albert Museum by Mrs. Dora Grubbe. Three of the fifteen plates featured are in U.S. collections (Seattle Art Museum, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and Colonial Williamsburg Foundation), the remainder are either in British museums or private collections. With a grant from the Cumming Ceramic Research Foundation (2011) C. Jacob-Hanson researched and discovered the print sources for the majority of these plates, writing up her findings, which were published in The American Ceramic Circle Journal (2013). This talk will relate the hunt for the identified print sources, show related Worcester and other similarly decorated pieces, and explore the possible intentions behind the creation of this unique “Italianate” service, one which has an unprecedented place in the history of Worcester porcelain decoration.

“In the Footsteps of Fidelle Duvivier – the French Connection” (50 min.)

Charlotte Jacob-Hanson, an independent researcher, has devoted more than ten years to researching the life and career of Fidelle Duvivier and looking for further examples of his work in the Netherlands, France and England. He is one of the most interesting international ceramics decorators of the 18th century. This lecture presents new findings regarding Duvivier’s employment at Sceaux, one of France’s most successful manufactories, as well as highlighting its general production history. The presentation will also compare the newly found French examples to some of Duvivier’s work in the Netherlands and England.

“Fidelle Duvivier – Inspired Eye, Gifted Hand” (50 min.)

For many years the Tournai-born ceramics decorator, Fidelle Duvivier, was best known for the landscape vignettes and figural scenes he painted mainly on English New Hall porcelain in the late 1780s. This lecture looks at the newest discoveries regarding his career, including some of his work for the Sceaux manufactory near Paris, c. 1766-68 and again c. 1775, as well as work done in England c. 1769-73 (including Derby). Of special interest are the numerous examples dating to 1780-84, when Duvivier was working in the Netherlands for Joannes de Mol at Loosdrecht and also decorated several pieces for the Lyncker family of The Hague. The remarkable examples of Fidelle Duvivier’s painted decoration from France and the Netherlands will be compared to his later work in Staffordshire.