Inauguration of Roger Capron’s sea life themed decorative art in the Galerie des Salines

H.R.H. the Princess of Hanover surrounded by Patrice Cellario, Minister of the Interior, Françoise Gamerdinger, Director of Cultural Affairs of Monaco, Björn Dahlström, Director of the NMNM, and Philippe Capron, Roger’s son. © Government Communication Department – Manuel Vitali

On 2 July, H.R.H. the Princess of Hanover officially unveiled the newly restored and once again displayed work of Roger Capron in the Galerie des Salines.

The decorative ceramic wall art – initially consisting of 29 glazed terracotta panels depicting Mediterranean sea life in a variety of visual styles – was created by the French artist in 1968 for the façades of the premises located under the Larvotto promenade until 2019.

As part of construction work launched in September 2019 to revamp Larvotto beach, a vast conservation and restoration project saw the removal, restoration and relocation of the twelve panels that remained on site. This important project was supervised by the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco (NMNM), custodian of the work, in close collaboration with the Department of Cultural Affairs, the Institute of Heritage, the Department of Public Works and the Réserve – Gestion des collections.

Born in 1922, Roger Capron studied applied arts in Paris and contributed to the renaissance of ceramic art in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1952 he opened his own ceramic factory in Vallauris where he combined industrial processes and artistic design. He also created major architectural ceramic works such as the marine terminal in Cannes and the decor of the Byblos hotel in Saint-Tropez. He won numerous prizes for his work, including the Gold Medal at the 10th Triennale di Milano in 1954.
Several exhibitions of his creations have been organised, including a retrospective in 2003 at the Musée National de la Céramique in Sèvres.