Simon Lissim

Design for a Plate-Fish and Abstract Designs

Maker

Simon Lissim (American, b. Russia, 1900-1981)

Title

Design for a Plate-Fish and Abstract Designs

Year

ca. 1960

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

watercolor, gold

Supports

Dimensions

28.6 x 28.6 cm (11 1/4 x 11 1/4 inches) (irregular)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Signed on the design in black, LR:Simon Lissim ; signed in pencil, LR corner of sheet:Simon Lissim ; notation in pencil above a portion of the design, LL:back on the plate ; UL:N35.

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of the artist

Object Number

71.103

Type

Exhibition History

Works in Process
Jul 31, 2021 – Jan 23, 2022

Label copy

These designs feature imagery of fish, a subject that appears time and again in Simon Lissim’s paintings and design drawings. Born in Kiev, Russia, he moved to Paris at 19 years old to embark on what would become a prolific career as an artist, designer, and illustrator. In the 1920s he began designing for Sèvres, the French porcelain manufactory.

Lissim created hundreds of designs for porcelain manufactured by Sèvres, Castleton, and Lenox over the course of his career. He likely made many more designs than were ever physically produced, but the works shown here demonstrate how he repeated patterns, enlivening them with bold colors. [see also 71.104].

Image use

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Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Simon Lissim (American, b. Russia, 1900-1981)
Design for a Plate-Fish and Abstract Designs, ca. 1960
Pencil, watercolor, ink, and gold on paper
28.6 x 28.6 cm (11 1/4 x 11 1/4 inches) (irregular)
Gift of the artist 71.103

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