While the history of the Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory in first half of the 19th century was dominated by one sole administrator, Alexandre Brongniart (1770 - 1847), who occupied the position of director from 1800 until his death, the tumultuous second half of the 19th century would, by contrast, bear witness to a series of successions with Elbemen (1847-1852), Victor Regnault (1852-1871), Louis Robert (1871-1879) and Charles Laught all succeeding to the post. Laught’s run as director, however, would come to an abrupt end when in 1887 he was forced to stand down, only to be replaced by the famous Théodore Deck who occupied the position until his untimely death in 1891. And so once again the manufactory took on a new image with Emile Baumgart serving as administrator and two further members acting as technical director and director of art respectively.

Nevertheless, the real aesthetic revolution in the history of the Sèvres manufactory took place when Alexandre Sandier was named director of art in 1897. Sandier would be responsible for designing a full ensemble of completely new forms, characterised by the juxtaposition of smooth surfaces with the more naturalist relief surfaces common in Art Nouveau. This figuration would then give way to the concept of using vegetables and animals to create new and interesting contours and forms. At the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1900, the manufactory enjoyed renewed success with its presentation of works designed exclusively in the Art Nouveau style.

From a technical point of view, the manufactory’s history in the second half of the 19th century was also characterised by a series of innovations, one of which was vacuum-sealed pouring conceived for the purpose of avoiding imperfections. Other innovations included coal-fueled firing, the adoption of a vast array of new colours, and last but not least the development of new moulding materials, such as pâte dure nouvelle or pâte Vogt-Lauth. The latter material, fired at a mere 1280°C («classic» hard clay was usually fired at 1410°C), gave rise to a host of new colours (referred to as demi-grand feu) and lended better to new styles of decoration, such as the cristallisation-effect (zinc oxide), the use of copper-based reds and flambé glazes.

The Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory took part in a number of exhibitions, including:
The Universal Exhibitions of 1851 and 1862 in London
The Universal Exhibitions of 1855 and 1867 in Paris
The Universal Exhibitions of 1871 and 1872 in London
The Universal Exhibition of 1873 in Vienna
The Universal Exhibition of 1876 in Philadelphia
The Universal Exhibitions of 1878, 1889 and 1900 in Paris
The Universal Exhibitions of 1903 and 1911 in Torino
The Universal Exhibition of 1913 in Ghent...

Bibliography

Revues :
Albis, (A. d'.), « Différences entre pâte dure et pâte tendre, grès et faïence », dans Sèvres, revue de la société des amis du musée national de céramique, 2011, n°20, p. 21 à 34.
De Liesville, (A.-R.), « Les Industries d'Art au Champ de Mars, IV La Céramique Moderne », dans L'Art Moderne à l'Exposition de 1878, Publication de la Gazette des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1879, p. 415-417.
Laurin, (I.), « L'Atelier de faïence de la manufacture de Sèvres », dans Sèvres, revue de la société des amis du musée national de céramique, 2004, n°13, p. 89 à 102.
Laurin, (I.), « L'Art déco à Sèvres : retour à une porcelaine tendre siliceuse », dans Sèvres, revue de la société des amis du musée national de céramique, 2005, n°14, p. 82 à 92.
Laurin, (I.), « Sèvres, années 30 », dans Sèvres, revue de la société des amis du musée national de céramique, 2008, n°17, p. 147 à 153.

Exhibition catalogues :
The Art Journal Illustrated Catalogue : The Industry of All Nation 1851, Londres, 1851, fig. p. 169-172.
The Illustrated catalogue of the Exhibition of Art-Industry in Dublin 1853, published with the Art Journal, Londres, 1853.
The Illustrated Catalogue of the Universal Exhibition 1862 published with the Art Journal, Londres, 1867-1868, fig. p. 211 et 248.
The Illustrated Catalogue of the Universal Exhibition 1867 published with the Art Journal, Londres, 1867-1868, fig. p. 53, 163, 214 et 223.

Books :
Alcouffe, (D.), Bascou, (M.), Dion-Tenenbaum, (A.), Thiébaut, (P.), Le Arti Decorative Alle Grandi Esposizioni Universali, 1851-1900, Ed. Idealibri, Milano, 1988.
Blondel, (N.), Préaud, (T.), La manufacture nationale de Sèvres, Parcours du blanc à l’or, Sèvres, 1996.
Brunet, (M.), Préaud, (T.), Sèvres, des origines à nos jours, Éd. Office du Livre, Fribourg-Suisse, 1978.
Collectif, Manufacture nationale de Sèvres, Années folles et Art déco, le renouveau, Collection "Sèvres, une histoire céramique", Éd. Courtes et Longues, 2007.
Collectif, Manufacture nationale de Sèvres, Années 50 et Art déco, l'effet céramique, Collection "Sèvres, une histoire céramique", Éd. courtes et longues, 2006.
D’Albis, (A.), Traité de la porcelaine de Sèvres, Éd. Faton, Dijon, 2003.
Faÿ-Hallé, (A.), Rocchisani, (C.), Trouvet, (C.), Les Vases de Sèvres, XVIIIe - XXIe siècles, éloge de la virtuosité, Éd. Faton, Dijon, 2014.
Havard, (H.), Les Arts de l’ameublement, La Céramique (Histoire), Villefranche-de-Rouergue, XIXème siècle.
Midant, (J.-P.), Sèvres, La Manufacture au XXème siècle, Michel Aveline éditeur, Paris, 1992.
Vogt, (G.), La Porcelaine, Librairies-Imprimeries Réunies, Paris, 1893.