A cross-fertilization of perspectives and disciplines around a work of art studied "live", from the angles of both chemistry and art history. Lecture by Prof. Philippe Walter with Véronique Milande, head of the Cité de la céramique's preventive conservation and restoration department.
The public will be able to discover a work from the Cité de la céramique's national collections, the porcelain plate copy of La Sainte Famille after Raphaël.
The copying of paintings on porcelain plates developed in the early 19th century, in response to a concern for heritage conservation. Masterpieces of European art were reproduced on ceramics, a support with unalterable colors. Raphael was one of the most copied painters. Copies were also made of works by Mantegna, Leonardo da Vinci, Rubens, Titian, van Loo and others.
This practice was particularly demanding, as the copyist had to reconcile great artistic talent with the skills of a chemist in order to recover, once fired, colors faithful to those of the model. The rendering of these painted works on porcelain is particularly striking, and the colors of this Holy Family after Raphael are a magnificent example.
In a dialogue, Philippe Walter and Véronique Milande will share their expertise on this exceptional work.
