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Reflecting Antiquity: Modern Glass Inspired by Ancient Rome the J DATE: September 12, 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GETTY COLLABORATION WITH CORNING EXPLORES REDISCOVERY OF ANCIENT ROMAN GLASS AND ITS LEGACY Reflecting Antiquity: Modern Glass Inspired by Ancient Rome The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa October 18, 2007—January 14, 2008 LOS ANGELES—Witness the beauty of ancient Roman glass and its impact on the modern glass industry in Reflecting Antiquity: Modern Glass Inspired by Ancient Rome, a new exhibition at the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa from October 18, 2007—January 14, 2008, co-organized with The Corning Museum of Glass. Reflecting Antiquity explores the rediscovery of Roman glass and brings together 112 objects from more than 24 lenders, featuring ancient Roman originals as well as the modern replicas they inspired. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, archeological excavations in Greece and Italy, including sites such as Pompeii and Herculaneum, as well as further afield in the Middle East, and Egypt, resulted in the unearthing of Roman glass. Amid growing demand for products influenced by past periods as well as a desire to reinvigorate their flagging industry, manufacturers found inspiration in Roman antiquity, whose manufacturing techniques and designs continue to inspire glassmakers today. This rediscovery coincided with the European Historismus movement. Historismus — a German term for historicism, or a revival of historical styles — was a 19th-century movement seen across Europe to reproduce the artistic forms of the past, from antiquity to the Baroque period, in art, architecture, fashion, and nearly all aspects of design. The movement brought styles from a number of historic periods to glassmakers and captivated them with a variety of production methods, shapes, and designs that were unknown to them. As they became proficient in these techniques, their works, often replicas of well-known pieces, were displayed at world fairs throughout Europe and the United States, and were heralded as the finest in the glass industry. -more- Page 2 “This exhibition is ideally suited for the Getty Villa in that it allows us to demonstrate the relevance of the ancient world in art throughout history, including modern times,” said Michael Brand, director of the J. Paul Getty Museum. “We are grateful to The Corning Museum of Glass and the many lenders who helped us bring together a wide array of original works, reproductions, and modern inspirations in such a comprehensive exhibition demonstrating the influence of ancient Roman glass.” “Our collaboration with the J. Paul Getty Museum to develop this exhibition draws on the unique scholarship and collections of both our institutions,” said David Whitehouse, executive director of The Corning Museum of Glass and exhibition co-curator. “Uniting treasures from our extensive collection with objects from the Getty and with other works rarely seen in the United States, this spectacular assemblage offers scholars and the general public alike a new perspective on the history of Roman glass and its modern legacy. Ancient glassmaking techniques examined in the exhibition include cameo, mosaic, and gold glass, as well as cut glass cage cups. The phenomenon of iridescence, a surface condition resulting from burial conditions, is also examined. Cameo Glass: A cameo is an object with two or more layers of different colors; the top layer is partly cut away to fashion decoration in low relief against a background of contrasting color. Most Roman examples are made with two layers, usually white over blue. However, fragments of vessels exist with more than two layers, and sometimes as many as five. Ancient vessels such as the Portland Vase — the most important cameo glass to have survived from ancient Rome — captured the attention of European artisans, especially in England, who manufactured thousands of cameos for consumers both at home and abroad. Gold Glass: Circular gold-glass plaques were made by sandwiching gold foil in figurative or decorative designs between layers of glass. The subject matter of the pieces varied and included biblical and Jewish iconography, mythological figures, and portraits. The leading scholar of gold glass in the 19th century was a Jesuit priest named Raffaele Garruci, whose studies illustrated more than 380 examples and coincided with mounting Venetian interest in the manufacture of historical glass. Mosaic Glass: Like a stone mosaic, ancient mosaic glass is formed from a number of smaller pieces, usually circular slices from short lengths of canes (rods) of glass. Canes -more- Page 3 were made from either one color of glass or a variety of colors that were fused together and manipulated into patterns. Ancient mosaic glass dates back to 2500 B.C. in Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq and western Iran), but glassmakers did not begin manufacturing a wide variety of mosaic vessels until the second and first centuries B.C. Cut Glass Cage Cups: Rare and difficult to make, cage cups are among the most luxurious of ancient vessels. They have been discovered throughout the ancient world, from Afghanistan to North Africa to Belgium, with the majority from the Rhineland in Germany. Most have a network pattern of interlocking circles or ovals that are cut away from the inner wall of the vessel and are connected to it by cleverly concealed struts. Figural cage cups are especially rare, and the best-known example is the Lycurgus Cup, on view in this exhibition. Iridescence: Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow, lends her name to the word iridescence, a lustrous, rainbow-like play of color. Iridescence was admired by modern glassmakers but was not an intentional effect made by ancient artisans. The effect was found on pieces of ancient glass where burial conditions caused alkali (soluble salt) to leach from the glass and form layers that eventually separate and flake off. The remaining surface layers reflect light differently, resulting in an iridescent appearance. Iridizing, the process of creating intentional iridescence, was developed in Hungary in 1856 and allowed modern glassmakers to achieve the effect in their own work. Subsequent glassworkers mixed metallic substances into the glass before it was formed into a vessel. The shapes of iridescent vessels also evolved, and with the Art Nouveau movement, entirely new shapes of iridescent glassware were introduced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by artists like Louis Comfort Tiffany and Emile Gallé. With the growing popularity of historical glass replicas, some European firms began commercial reproduction of ancient Roman glass. While most vessels were handmade, the firm of Ludwig Felmer in Mainz, Germany, developed a mechanized process to reproduce the pieces. The firm of Rheinische Glasshütten-Actien-Gesellschaft (A.G.) in Ehrenfeld, Germany, marketed sets of the historical glassware for household use. In his 30 years as director of the Rheinische Glasshütten A.G., Oskar Rauter visited museums and private collections throughout Europe and on the East Coast of the United States, taking copious notes — including thoughts on dating, detailed information on decoration and color, and aspects of -more- Page 4 manufacture — and making numerous sketches of glass vessels he intended to reproduce in Ehrenfeld. Because many of the pieces he studied were destroyed in World War II, his notebooks are now the only surviving resource on several of these artifacts. Ancient Roman works continue to inspire contemporary glassmakers. With increasingly more effective analytical methods utilized to understand the composition of ancient glass, contemporary glassmakers can look to the original artifacts to more precisely reproduce ancient techniques. Their continuing efforts to replicate and emulate ancient works are a testament to the timeless beauty of Roman glass vessels and to the unknown artisans who created them. The exhibition showcases several contemporary works that replicate ancient glassmaking techniques. In conjunction with the exhibition, The Corning Museum’s Hot Glass Roadshow Ultralight Hotshop, a highly portable, energy-efficient glassmaking demonstration, will be at the Getty Villa October 25—November 5, 2007. The Roadshow is sponsored by the Villa Council, a support group for the classical arts organized by the J. Paul Getty Museum. Reflecting Antiquity: Modern Glass Inspired by Ancient Rome is co-curated by Karol Wight, curator of antiquities for the J. Paul Getty Museum and David Whitehouse, executive director of The Corning Museum of Glass. The exhibition will travel to The Corning Museum of Glass and will be on view from February 15—May 27, 2008. The exhibition’s accompanying 240-page catalogue of the same name published by The Corning Museum of Glass, features seven essays, as well as 163 color and eight black-and white illustrations (Paperback, $29.95). In addition, a related publication, Looking at Glass: A Guide to Terms, Styles, and Techniques by Catherine Hess and Karol Wight, is also available. The book includes terms related to the production, shape and decoration of glass, providing a glossary of terminology that is a handy guide for museumgoers as well as anyone interested in the art of glassmaking (Paperback, $14.95). Both publications are available at the Museum Store, by calling 800-223-3431 or 310-440-7059, or online at www.getty.edu. # # # Note to Editors: Images and Object List available upon request. MEDIA CONTACT: Tracy Gilbert Getty Communications 310-440-7282 [email protected] Page 5 Visiting the Getty Villa The Getty Villa is open Thursday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Tuesday and Wednesday, and major holidays. Admission to the Getty Villa is always free. An advance, timed ticket is required for admission. Each Villa ticket allows you to bring up to three children ages 15 and under with you in one car. Parking is $8. Tickets can be obtained online at www.getty.edu or by phone at 310-440-7300. Groups of nine or more must make reservations by phone.
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