JOSEPH RENE BINET (FRENCH, 1866-1911): A VERY FINE PAIR OF LATE 19TH CENTURY SEVRES STYLE PORCELAIN URNS the vase of baluster form with elongated necks, with gilt bronze stylised acanthus handles terminating in satyr masks, raised on pierced circular bases with scrolling flowers and foliage, the bodies decorated with 18th century style scenes of noblemen and ladies within Arcadian backgrounds,the reverse with scenes of putti, the painted scenes signed 'Binet', on a dark blue ground with gilt decoration, the interiors of the vases also signed 'Binet 8 rue de la Jussienne Paris' to the underside, 43cm high (2) Joseph Rene Binet was a famous architect, designer and painter during the Belle Epoque period in Paris. He initially studied architecture at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 1882 but rejected the traditional classicism of Italian architecture in favour of the Eastern Moorish style of Algeria, Spain and Tunisia. It was this grand Moorish style that influenced his most famous work, the Porte Binet which was the entrance gateway to the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle. He was not only a designer, but a decorator who had experience working for both the Sevres porcelain factories and the Gobelins tapestry workshops, a true Renaissance man creating master works in many different artistic fields. Related Literature: D. Silverman 'Art Nouveau in Fin-de-siècle France: Politics, Psychology, and Style', University of California, pp. 289-291.