Tracing Bernard Palissy’s Pottery

Abstract

It appears that the Protestant faith spread throughout France by the French potter Bernard Palissy, and the Calvinist teachings that inspired his pottery, are insufficiently emphasized in understanding his art, evaluating his works, and determining the authenticity of pottery claimed to be by Palissy. The scarcity of findings explaining why Palissy's pottery is so frequently and indistinguishably imitated has made it difficult to distinguish between genuine Palissy pottery and its imitations. Therefore, the aim of this research is to determine why Palissy's pottery is so widely imitated and to identify the differences between his originals and the imitations. The study examines Bernard Palissy's life details, his inclination towards ceramic production, his years of effort to achieve his goals in ceramics, and the influence of his pottery, which became quite popular during his lifetime and spread across continents after his death, starting from France. The scope of this research includes literature and examples comparing 16th-century Palissy pottery with 19th-century imitations of Palissy, as well as works by contemporary ceramic artists influenced by Palissy. The study examines the distinctive differences between Palissy's original ceramics and the imitation ceramics produced by his successors after his death, and provides examples of contemporary artists and their works influenced by Palissy's ceramics. Among the research findings is the observation that Bernard Palissy's works were imitated not only because of their interesting appearance and easily applicable and replicable shaping method, but also because his followers wished to continue the style that reflected his religious beliefs.

Keywords

• Bernard Palissy
• Calvinism
• Pottery
• Art

Bernard Palissy Çömleklerinin İzini Sürmek

Öz

Fransız çömlekçi Bernard Palissy’nin, Fransa’ya yaymış olduğu Protestan inancı ve çömleklerine ilham kaynağı olan Kalvinizm öğretilerinin sanatını anlamak, eserlerini değerlendirmek ve Palissy’ye ait olduğu iddia edilen çömleklerin orijinalliğini belirlemek açısından eksik vurgulandığı görülmektedir. Palissy’ye ait çömleklerin neden yoğun ve ayırt edilmesi zor şekilde taklit edildiğini açıklamaya yönelik tespitlerin az sayıda oluşu, Palissy’ye ait çömleklerle taklitlerin birbirinden ayırt edilmesinde zorluklara sebep olmuştur. Bu noktada Palissy’nin çömleklerininin neden bu denli taklit edildiği ve taklitleriyle farklarını tespit etmek araştırmanın amacını oluşturmuştur. Araştırmada, Bernard Palissy’nin yaşamına dair detaylar ışığında seramik üretimine yönelimi, seramik üretiminde amaçladığı noktaya varmak için uzun yıllar süren uğraşları ve yaşadığı dönemde oldukça popüler hale gelen çömleklerinin, ölümünün ardından Fransa’dan başlayarak kıtalararası yayılan etkisi ele alınmıştır. Araştırmanın kapsamını 16. yüzyıl Palissy çömlekleri ile 19. yüzyıl Palissy taklitlerini karşılaştıran literatür ve örnekler, çağdaş dönemde ise Palissy’den etkilenen seramik sanatçılarının eserleri oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmada Palissy’nin ölümünden sonra haleflerinin ürettiği taklit seramiklerle Palissy’nin seramikleri arasındaki ayırt edici farklar irdelenmiş, günümüzde Palissy’nin seramiklerinden etkilenen sanatçılar ve eserleri örneklendirilmiştir. Araştırma bulguları arasında Bernard Palissy’nin eserlerinin yalnızca ilginç görünümleri ve kolay uygulanabilir ve çoğaltılabilir şekillendirme yöntemi sebebiyle değil, dini inancını yansıtma biçiminin takipçileri tarafından sürdürülmek istenmesi sebebiyle de taklit edildiği yer almaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Bernard Palissy
• Kalvinizm
• Çömlekçilik
• Sanat

Kaynakça

1. Amico, L. N. (1996). Bernard Palissy and Saint-Porchaire ceramics. Studies in the History of Art, 52(Monograph Series II: Saint Porchaire Ceramics), 26-51. https://www.jstor.org/stable/ 42622131 (In English).
2. Andrews, N. (2014). The space of knowledge: Artisanal epistemology and Bernard Palissy. Anthropology and Aesthetics, 65/66. 275–288. http://www.jstor.org/stable/ 24871256 (In English).
3. Avisseau, C. J. (1850). Plat ovale orné [Glazed earthenware]. Louvre Museum, Paris, France. https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/ 53355/cl010112991 (In English).
4. Barbizet, V., & Son. (19th century). Grand plat ovale: Homard [Glazed earthenware]. Louvre Museum, Paris, France. https:// collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010097985 (In English).
5. Belleek Pottery. (1868). Shell comport [Glazed earthenware]. Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O175790/ (In English).
6. Bouquillon, A., Castaing, J., Barbe, F., Paine, S. R., Christman, B., Crépin-Leblond, T., & Heuer, A. H. (2016). Lead-glazed rustiques figulines (rustic ceramics) of Bernard Palissy (1510-90) and his followers. Archaeometry, 59(1), 69-83. https://doi.org/10. 1111/arcm.12247 (In English).
7. Brightwell, C. L. (1858). Palissy the huguenot potter a true tale. Presbyterian Board of Publication. (In English).
8. Frantz, H. (1906). French pottery and porcelain. G. Newnes. (In English).

9. Gasnault, P., & Garnier, E. (1884). French pottery. Chapman and Hall. (In English). Gerbier, A. (2019). Bernard Palissy: Nouveaux regards sur la céramique Française aux XVIe et XVIIe siècles. Technè, (47), 6-11. https://doi.org/10.4000/techne.1399 (In French).
10. Giehler, T. (2019). The ceramics of Eurasia how export porcelain has shaped a globalized World (Report No. 1902[EN]). International Monetary Institute. http://www.imi.ruc.edu.cn/en/ PUBLICATIONS/Report/b63b6fe24e9749b2a1ceaf8a723bc656.htm (In English).
11. Hykin, A., Newman, R., & Michie, T. (2019). A Re-evaluation of ‘Palissy’ ceramics at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Technè, (47), 126-139. https://doi.org/10.4000/techne.1596 (In English).
12. Jacquemart, A. (1877). History of the ceramic art. A descriptive and philosophical study of the pottery of all ages and all nations. Scribner, Arrmstrong & Co. (In English).
13. Jervis, W. P. (1902). The encyclopedia of ceramics. Blanchard. (In English).
14. Johnson, J. (1983). Bernard Palissy, prophet of modern ceramics. The Sixteenth Century Journal, 14(4), 399–410. https://doi.org/10.2307/2540574 (In English).
15. Kamil, N. (2005). Fortress of the soul: violence, metaphysics, and material life in the Huguenots' new World, 1517-1751. Johns Hopkins University Press. (In English).
16. Kayser, P. (2006) The intellectual and the artisan: Wenzel Jamnitzer and Bernard Palissy uncover the secrets of natüre. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Art, 7(2), 45-61. https://doi.org/ 10.1080/14434318.2006.11432774 (In English).
17. Mafra, M. C. G. (1865-1887). Round dish with fighting lizard and snake [Glazed earthenware]. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/ search/841261 (In English).
18. Mizuno, K. (1998). Forbidden fruit with leaf [Glazed porcelain]. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, USA. https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/forbidden-fruit-leaf-37390 (In English).
19. Palissy, B. (1500-1600). Moule, fragment [Plaster mold]. Louvre Museum, Paris, France. https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/ 53355/cl010512694 (In English).
20. Palissy, B. (1550-1560). Bassin ovale: Rustiques figulines [Glazed earthenware]. Louvre Museum, Paris, France. https:// collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010116968 (In English).
21. Palissy, B. (1550-1575a). Fragment: Marbrure [Glazed earthenware]. Louvre Museum, Paris, France. https:// collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010111866 (In English).
22. Palissy, B. (1550-1575b). Fragment de brique allongé: Rocaille jaspée [Glazed earthenware]. Louvre Museum, Paris, France. https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010098172 (In French).
23. Palissy, B. (16th century). Plat à décor de rustiques figulines [Glazed earthenware]. Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, Lyon, France. https://www.mba-lyon.fr/fr/fiche-oeuvre/plat-decor-de-rustiques-figulines (In French).
24. Plaziat, J. C. (2019). L’identification des moulages des coquilles fossiles et des organismes actuels des rustiques figulines. Technè, (47), 102-115. https://doi.org/10.4000/techne.1569 (In French).
25. Quiviger, F. (2024). Panpsychism represented. The animate world of Bernard Palissy, 1510–1590. Intellectual History Review. 34(1), 91-105. https://doi.org/10.1080/17496977.2023. 2285264 (In English).
26. Randall, C. (1994). Structuring protestant scriptural space in sixteenth-century catholic France. The Sixteenth Century Journal, 25(2), 341-352. https://doi.org/10.2307/2542885 (In English).
27. Rothschild, G., Grandjen, S., & Schimed, T. (1952) Bernard Palissy et son école. Au Pont des Arts. (In French).
28. Shell, H. R. (2004). Casting life, recasting experience: Bernard Palissy's occupation between maker and nature. Configurations 12(1), 1-40. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/con.2005.0005 (In English).
29. Solon, M. L. (1903). A history and description of the old French faïence. Cassell and Co. (In English).
30. Viennet, C. (2000). Large ceramic dish [Glazed ceramic]. Galerie Origines, Arles, France. https://www.galerieorigines.com/en/ artwork/collections/barbotine-majolica/large-ceramic-dish-christine-viennet (In English).
31. Wollman, A. C. (2005). After Palissy: Bernard Palissy’s aesthetic, four centuries later. Ceramics: Art and Perception, (60), 41–46. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.937448509908938 (In English).
32. Ziegler, G. M. (1928). Agricultural observations of Bernard Palissy, the Huguenot potter. The Scientific Monthly, 26(1), 28–33. http://www.jstor.org/stable/7945 (In English).