What are the characteristics of the style and design of French Renaissance ceramics that have the imprint of the times?
The French town of Sainteus has long been associated with pottery production.
The economy of porcelain with spouts made in the city in the second half of the sixteenth century testifies to the strength of the city's tradition in this craft.
1. Practical and grotesque ceramic ware
The ceramic pieces are cut into basic shapes in response to their function, the bold, inflated body echoes in a ring band around the neck, three more straps connect the neck to the waste for easy pouring, and its thick lead glaze has a bright green finish and protects its surface.
The Pilgrim flask is quite different from the Saint jug, and although its ceramic form derives from a common type, the flask achieves a complex blend of glazing techniques and decoration.
Its tin glaze paintings follow the contemporary artistic style produced in Italian towns such as Urbino and Faenza.
Bizarre marvelous creatures, intertwined with ribbons and birds, typical of the style adapted from the design of the court artist Jacques du Celso.
2. Pilgrim flask
A collection of French pottery, from rustic to delicate, gathered in the most interesting vessels, called pilgrim flasks.
It is also mainly distributed in the southwestern provinces, in the town of Saint-Polper, in Twin Sèvres, and in nearby Paternay and Bresul.
Like Santes, the area is home to kaolin-rich deposits of white clay, revered for its fine texture and ability to render precise details.
However, the origin of this vessel is so complex and distinct, and its technical structure is so complex, that it appears to have a close connection with the court.
It is clear that the reason for this highly complex design model lies mainly in the craftsmen, or ceramic artists, who worked for the government and the aristocracy.
The formation of this style and shape depended partly on the fluid nature of the artists of the time and partly on the branch of the Montmorency Laval family that patronized the small factory.
3. Staggered design of French ceramics
Through the dynastic relationship with Anne de Montmorency, the types of pottery objects are very rich.
Known collectibles, metalwork, carved crystals and other works of art, among others, have also inspired these surprisingly eclectic clay creations.
However, some scholars believe that these goods can only be made in Paris.
While no two pieces are the same, they share certain patterns and techniques.
The most common is staggering.
The interleaved design is inlaid by a matrix, either inlaid directly into the clay body in a leather-hard state before firing, or inlaid on clay sheets and then coated on clay.
Contrasting colored clays are then inserted into these depressions, and the final glaze further smooths the division between the clays.
This method is very unusual in ceramic production and is spiritually closer to metalworking techniques.
For example, Nile fused blackened sulfur into gouging designs, or weapons and armor ornaments seen today.
The patterned surface of the pilgrim flask was often covered with other clay additions, such as the handle of the pot in the museum collection, partly with a tree trunk, partly with a pterosaur, and partly as a ram.
The statuette of the Virgin with the Holy Child in relief forms part of the base of its spout, while the neck is framed by miniature buildings made up of small figures in Gothic arches.
Of the more than sixty known vessels of Saint-Pocelle, many (seven in the museum) are based on the simplest rustic forms, such as the beron or nursing jug, with simple hoop handles, such as the jug of sainte.
This skilful combination of court art and peasant forms marks the perfect expression of the French Renaissance.
Summary:
The French Renaissance was a period of prosperity in French culture and art, in which ceramic art showed a relatively significant development.
The French Renaissance ceramics production process focused on the exquisite and innovative use of technology, including the selection of raw materials, molding, decoration, glazing and firing.
French Renaissance ceramics are distinguished by their exquisite decoration and unique pattern design, reflecting the aesthetic pursuit and cultural style of the Renaissance.
Renaissance ceramics not only became an important collection and work of art in French high society, but also played an important role in social occasions and daily life at that time.
Bibliography:
[1] Chastell, Andre. French Art, vol. 2, Renaissance, 1430-1620. Paris: Framarion, 1995.
[2] Crowas, Ivan and Michelle Bingbenet - private. A jewel of the French Renaissance. New York: Abrams, 1998.
[3] Cox-Rick, Janet. Collection of Francis I: Royal Treasure. New York: Abrams, 1996.
[4] Wodroper, Ian, "The Blossoming of the French Renaissance." Metropolitan Museum of Art Gazette 62 (Summer 2004).
[5] Zenner, Henry. Art of the French Renaissance: the invention of classicism. Paris: Framarion, 2003.
