Misplaced Pages

#986013

27-594: The "First School of Fontainebleau", much more important than the Second School at the end of the century, was based in the chateau from 1531 to 1547, after which some artists moved to Paris or elsewhere. In 1531, the Florentine artist Rosso Fiorentino , having lost most of his possessions at the Sack of Rome in 1527, was invited by François I to come to France, where he began an extensive decorative program for

54-636: A darker, silver-gray color. Pewters containing lead are no longer used in items that will come in contact with the human body (such as cups, plates, or jewelry), due to the toxicity of lead . Modern pewters are available that are completely free of lead, although many pewters containing lead are still being produced for other purposes. A typical European casting alloy contains 94% tin, 1% copper and 5% antimony . A European pewter sheet would contain 92% tin, 2% copper, and 6% antimony. Asian pewter, produced mostly in Malaysia , Singapore , and Thailand , contains

81-466: A decline in the use of pewter flatware. At the same time, production increased of both cast and spun pewter tea sets, whale-oil lamps, candlesticks, and so on. Later in the century, pewter alloys were often used as a base metal for silver-plated objects. In the late 19th century, pewter came back into fashion with the revival of medieval objects for decoration. New replicas of medieval pewter objects were created, and collected for decoration. Today, pewter

108-446: A higher percentage of tin, usually 97.5% tin, 1% copper, and 1.5% antimony. This makes the alloy slightly softer. The term Mexican pewter is used for any of various alloys of aluminium that are used for decorative items. Pewter is also used to imitate platinum in costume jewelry. Pewter, being a softer material, can be manipulated in various ways such as being cast , hammered, turned , spun and engraved . Given that pewter

135-588: Is in a small city, away from the tourist track, was a factor in this, especially before the arrival of photography. His poses are certainly contorted, and his figures often appear haggard and thin, but his work has considerable power. His masterpiece is generally considered to be the Deposition or Descent from the Cross altarpiece in the Pinacoteca Comunale di Volterra (initially painted for

162-407: Is rare. Lidless mugs and lidded tankards may be the most familiar pewter artifacts from the late 17th and 18th centuries, although the metal was also used for many other items including porringers (shallow bowls), plates, dishes, basins, spoons, measures, flagons, communion cups, teapots, sugar bowls, beer steins (tankards), and cream jugs. In the early 19th century, changes in fashion caused

189-578: Is used in decorative objects, mainly collectible statuettes and figurines, game figures, aircraft and other models, (replica) coins, pendants, plated jewellery and so on. Certain athletic contests, such as the United States Figure Skating Championships , award pewter medals to fourth-place finishers. In antiquity, pewter was tin alloyed with lead and sometimes also copper . Older pewters with higher lead content are heavier, tarnish faster, and their oxidation has

216-614: The Chateau Fontainebleau as part of the "First School of Fontainebleau ", spending much of his life there. Following his death in 1540 (which, according to an unsubstantiated claim by Vasari , was a suicide [1] ), Francesco Primaticcio took charge of the artistic direction at Fontainebleau. Rosso's reputation, along those of other stylized late Renaissance Florentines, was long out of favour in comparison to other more naturalistic and graceful contemporaries, but has revived considerably in recent decades. That his masterpiece

243-532: The Château de Fontainebleau . In 1532 he was joined by another Italian artist, Francesco Primaticcio (from Bologna ). Rosso killed himself in France in 1540. On the advice of Primaticcio, Niccolò dell'Abbate (from Modena ) was invited to France in 1552 by François's son Henri II . Although known for their work at Fontainebleau, these artists were also invited to create works of art for other noble families of

270-618: The Dutch and Flemish naturalist schools) soon eclipsed them. Rosso Fiorentino Giovanni Battista di Jacopo (8 March 1495 – 14 November 1540), known as Rosso Fiorentino (meaning "Florentine Redhead" in Italian) or Il Rosso ("The Redhead"), was an Italian Mannerist painter who worked in oil and fresco and belonged to the Florentine school . Born in Florence with

297-756: The Wars of Religion the château of Fontainebleau was abandoned. Upon his accession to the throne, Henri IV undertook a renovation of the Fontainebleau buildings using a group of artists: the Flemish born Ambroise Dubois (from Antwerp) and the Parisians Toussaint Dubreuil and Martin Fréminet . They are sometimes referred to as the "second school of Fontainebleau". Their late mannerist works, many of which have been lost, continue in

SECTION 10

#1732779477987

324-456: The "mysterious" artist known from his monogram as "Master I♀V" (♀ being the alchemical symbol for copper , from which the printing plates were made), and the workshop seems to have been active between about 1542 and 1548 at the latest; François I died in March 1547, after which funding for the palace ended, and the school dispersed. These were the first etchings made in France, and not far behind

351-432: The 18th and 19th centuries. Pewter was the chief material for producing plates, cups, and bowls until the making of porcelain . Mass production of pottery, porcelain and glass products have almost universally replaced pewter in daily life, although pewter artifacts continue to be produced, mainly as decorative or specialty items. Pewter was also used around East Asia . Although some items still exist, ancient Roman pewter

378-462: The Duomo). In contrast to the frozen grief of other depositions, this one appears as a hurried and complicated operation, while the figures below have simple and forceful expressions of quiet grief, with powerful expressions hinted at by hidden faces. The sky is somber. The three ladders and those carrying down Christ appear precarious. Christ himself is sallow. Contrast this frenetic, windswept scene with

405-676: The Elder , the sculptors Jean Goujon and Germain Pilon , and, to a lesser degree, the painter and portraitist François Clouet the son of Jean Clouet . Although there is no certain proof, most scholars have agreed that there was a printmaking workshop at the Palace of Fontainebleau itself, reproducing the designs of the artists for their works in the palace, as well as other compositions they produced. The most productive printmakers were Léon Davent , Antonio Fantuzzi , and Jean Mignon , followed by

432-792: The beginning of the Bronze Age in the Near East . The earliest known piece of pewter was found in an Egyptian tomb, c.  1450 BC , but it is unlikely that this was the first use of the material. Pewter was used for decorative metal items and tableware in ancient times by the Egyptians and later the Romans, and came into extensive use in Europe from the Middle Ages until the various developments in pottery and glass-making during

459-532: The equally complex, but more restrained composition on the same theme by the near contemporary Florentine Mannerist Pontormo . Rosso would go on to paint a second, darker and more crowded Deposition altarpiece for the church of San Lorenzo in Sansepolcro. Pewter Pewter ( / ˈ p juː t ər / ) is a malleable metal alloy consisting of tin (85–99%), antimony (approximately 5–10%), copper (2%), bismuth , and sometimes silver . In

486-578: The first Italian uses of the technique, which originated in Germany. The earliest impressions of all the Fontainebleau prints are in brown ink, and their intention seems to have been essentially reproductive. The intention of the workshop was to disseminate the new style developing at the palace more widely, both to France and to the Italians' peers back in Italy. Whether the initiative to do this came from

513-515: The group were reproduced in prints , mostly etchings , which were apparently produced initially at Fontainebleau itself, and later in Paris. These disseminated the style through France and beyond, and also record several paintings that have not survived. The Mannerist style of the Fontainebleau school influenced French artists (with whom the Italians worked) such as the painter Jean Cousin

540-534: The influence of the techniques of the Italian Mannerism of Michelangelo , Raphael and especially Parmigianino . Primaticcio was also directed to make copies of antique Roman statues for the king, thus spreading the influence of classical statuary. Many of the works of Rosso, Primaticcio and dell'Abate have not survived; parts of the Chateau were remodelled at various dates. The paintings of

567-449: The king or another patron, or from the artists alone, is unclear. David Landau believes that Primaticcio was the driving force; he had stepped up to become the director of the work at Fontainebleau after the suicide of Rosso Fiorentino in 1540. The enterprise seems to have been "just slightly premature" in terms of catching a market. The etched prints were often marked by signs of the workshop's inexperience and sometimes incompetence with

SECTION 20

#1732779477987

594-404: The past it was an alloy of tin and lead , but most modern pewter, in order to prevent lead poisoning , is not made with lead. Pewter has a low melting point , around 170–230 °C (338–446 °F), depending on the exact mixture of metals. The word pewter is possibly a variation of " spelter ", a term for zinc alloys (originally a colloquial name for zinc). Pewter was first used around

621-457: The period and were much esteemed and well-paid. The works of this "first school of Fontainebleau" are characterized by the extensive use of stucco (moldings and picture frames) and frescos , and an elaborate (and often mysterious) system of allegories and mythological iconography. Renaissance decorative motifs such as grotesques , strapwork and putti are common, as well as a certain degree of eroticism. The figures are elegant and show

648-531: The red hair that gave him his nickname, Rosso first trained in the studio of Andrea del Sarto alongside his contemporary, Pontormo . His early works include Holy Family with the Infant Saint John the Baptist (Walters Art Gallery), Cherub Playing a Lute (Uffizi) and The Infant Saint John the Baptist (private collection), all produced around 1521. In late 1523, Rosso moved to Rome, where he

675-578: The technique of etching, and according to Sue Welsh Reed: "Few impressions survive from these plates, and it is questionable whether many were pulled. The plates were often poorly executed and not well printed; they were often scratched or not well polished and did not wipe clean. Some may have been made of metals soft as copper, such as pewter ." A broadening market for prints preferred the "highly finished textures" of Nicolas Beatrizet , and later "proficient but ultimately uninspired" engravers such as René Boyvin and Pierre Milan . From 1584 to 1594, during

702-480: The use of elongated and undulating forms and crowded compositions. Many of their subjects include mythological scenes and scenes from works of fiction by the Italian Torquato Tasso and the ancient Greek novelist Heliodorus of Emesa . Their style continued to have an influence on artists through the first decades of the 17th century, but other artistic currents ( Peter Paul Rubens , Caravaggio ,

729-454: Was exposed to the works of Michelangelo , Raphael , and other Renaissance artists, resulting in the realignment of his artistic style. Fleeing Rome after the Sacking of 1527 , Rosso eventually went to France where he secured a position at the court of Francis I in 1530, remaining there until his death. Together with Francesco Primaticcio , Rosso was one of the leading artists to work at

#986013