"Born in Narbonne, France, Cros (1840 - 1907) began his studies at thirteen in the Paris studio of genre painter Jules Valadon. Impressed by a bas-relief, Valadon encouraged Cros to continue his efforts in sculpture, which then led him to study with the academic sculptor Antoine Etex. Around 1870 Cros began to develop an interest in the nearly lost ancient medium of encaustic painting, in which pigment is blended and applied in hot wax. This pursuit probably led to experiments in colored wax reliefs that, in turn, led to his rediscovery of another neglected ancient technique--pâte-de-verre. In this medium ceramists' pigments are blended with powdered glass and fused in a kiln. In 1890 Cros was appointed to a post at the Sčvres porcelain factory, where he was able to expand the scale of his works in pâte-de-verre."
- from the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) website
