History of Nyon Porcelain and Designs
Nestled on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland lies the small town of Nyon where, in 1781, Jacques Dortu and Ferdinand Mueller opened a porcelain factory. Why they chose Nyon nobody knows exactly, except for the beauty of the sparkling lake and the pristine tranquility of the surrounding mountains. They had to import all the raw materials to produce and then decorate the porcelain and in the 18th century that was not an easy task. The kaolin came from Saint-Yrieix close to Limoges, France. The mineral colors for painting were obtained first from Germany, later from Basel, Switzerland. The gold obtained from melted gold coins came from Lausanne and Geneva, Switzerland.
Jacques Dortu, the founder of the Nyon porcelain factory was a typical porcelain painter of the 18th century. He was born in 1749 in Berlin by French parents who were refugees. He was an apprentice at the Royal Porcelain manufactory in Berlin. In 1767 he painted in Cassel and then in Ansbach, Germany. From 1769-1770 he was in St. Petersburg, Russia, where he met Ferdinand Mueller. They formed a team and painted together first in the French factory in Pontex-les-Forges, then in Marseille, France and then in Marienberg, Sweden. After all this experience they decided to open their own factory in 1781 in Nyon. The enterprise was very successful at first but, after 1810, they had financial difficulties and decided to close in 1813.
But some of the painters stayed in Nyon and continued painting and teaching other students the technique and designs that made Nyon so famous. The best known designs of Nyon are: "Les Bleuets", "Le Semis de Roses", "La Reine de Naples", "Dessin Trevor", "La Rose Bleue", "La Couronne aux Pavots", and hundreds of equally charming designs. The porcelain graced the tables of royalty in Europe. The fresh designs and delicate character evoked visions of the clean mountain scenery and flowers swaying in the summer breezes.
The porcelains of Nyon are known for their pure whiteness and their lively and bright color palette. The signature for the original Nyon pieces is a blue fish under the glaze, appearing on the back of the piece.
The designs of Nyon are especially close to my heart since I studied porcelain painting for 5 years in Lausanne, a neighboring town of Nyon. During this professional training I came to cherish the uniqueness of the designs. Far away from my homeland of Switzerland, I am striving to keep the old tradition alive. As a teacher, I love the designs because of their precision and simplicity which allows such beautiful accomplishments. They are always executed with meticulous attention to detail. The execution of the designs requires pointed sable or Kolinsky brushes, never square shaders. A fast drying medium and a very sure brush stroke. Most of the designs can be done in one or two firings and are always enhanced by a high quality burnishing gold, never liquid bright gold.
The legacy is very precious and must not be lost. I am happy to pass it on to my students and china painting friends in the United States. Nyon designs give joy and satisfaction to both the painter and the collector. They are adaptable to a wide range of porcelain blanks.
© Daisy J. Muff, March 2005
