Maiolica: Italian Renaissance Ceramics from the Corcoran Collection

February 2–July 11, 2005

Washington, DC – Maiolica, high-quality, exquisitely decorated tin-glazed earthenware, took on a prominent role in the life of the Renaissance consumer, achieving a value beyond its inherent material worth. In this way, maiolica provides a key to understanding life in Renaissance Italy, a rich and complex period that was filled with a range of functional and beautiful objects that both served and enhanced the lives of its citizens. Maiolica: Italian Renaissance Ceramics from the Corcoran Collection is on view at the Corcoran Gallery of Art February 2 – July 11, 2005.

“During the 15th and 16th centuries, maiolica production flourished throughout Italy,” notes Laura Coyle, Curator of European Art. “One of the few major holdings of its kind in the United States, the Corcoran’s William A. Clark Collection of Italian Renaissance maiolica is outstanding because of its quality, variety and condition.”

Featuring 20 plates, apothecary jars, inkwells and other decorative objects, Maiolica showcases works made in all of the major centers of Italian Renaissance production including Faenza, Urbino and Tuscany. Through the Renaissance, collectors displayed maiolica prominently in their homes; citizens from all levels of society gave it as gifts; notaries referred to it in documents; and merchants carried wares from local workshops and imported it from both neighboring city-states and farther a field. At the table, maiolica served several purposes, including the most practical one of presenting, serving and holding things to eat and drink. Apothecaries featured magnificent sets of drug jars and specialized pieces of maiolica played an important role in marriage and childbirth rituals. The sophisticated and often elaborate narrative scenes on maiolica were intended to spark conversation, encourage sociability and demonstrate erudition.

“During this important period in Italian Renaissance history, the great variety of ceramics formed an integral part of daily life. Indeed, Italians were avid consumers of all types of ceramics: local and imported, large and small, decorative and most of all, utilitarian,” notes Coyle. “Examining these pieces allows us to illuminate the history and function of maiolica in the lives of Renaissance consumers.”

EXHIBITION ORGANIZATION
Maiolica: Italian Renaissance Ceramics from the Corcoran Collection is organized by the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., and curated by Laura Coyle, Corcoran Curator of European Art.

TRAVELING EXHIBITION
This exhibition is designed as a complement to the traveling exhibition Marvels of Maiolica: Italian Renaissance Ceramics from the Corcoran Gallery of Art Collection, organized by the Corcoran Gallery of Art and curated by Laura Coyle and Dr. Jacqueline Marie Musacchio, Assistant Professor, Vassar College. Marvels of Maiolica will be on view at the following venues during its tour: The Frick Art and Historical Center, Pittsburgh, PA (Through April 3, 2005); Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids, MI (September 22, 2005 – January 1, 2006); Hillstrom Museum of Art, Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN (February 6, 2006 – March 19, 2006); Taft Museum of Art, Cincinnati, OH (April 7, 2006 – June 18, 2006). For additional information on booking this exhibition, please contact Joan Oshinsky, Traveling Exhibitions Director, at 202-639-1713 or joshinsky@corcoran.org.

ABOUT THE CORCORAN GALLERY OF ART
A privately funded institution incorporating both a museum and college of art and design, the Corcoran Gallery of Art was founded in 1869 as Washington’s first museum of art. It is one of America’s oldest art institutions, predating both New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and is known internationally for its distinguished collection of historical and modern American art as well as European painting, sculpture, photography and decorative arts.

Founded in 1890, Corcoran College of Art + Design is Washington’s only 4-year college of art and design, offers a four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree program in Fine Art (painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics and digital art), Graphic Design, Digital Media Design, Photography and Photojournalism; a two-year Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degree program in Fine Art, Photography, Graphic Design, Interior Design and Digital Media Design, a Masters of Arts (MA) degree in Interior Design, Teaching and Education, as well as a 5 year combined BFA/MA in Teaching; and a Continuing Education Program encompassing more than 250 courses and seven certificate programs aimed at meeting the needs of part-time adult students; as well as year-round classes designed especially for children and teens. The Continuing Education Program, which offers part-time credit and non-credit classes for children and adults, draws more than 3,500 participants each year.

The Corcoran Gallery of Art is located at New York Avenue and 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC, and is open every day, except Tuesday, 10 am – 5 pm and until 9 pm on Thursday. The museum is closed every Tuesday. Admission to the Corcoran is: $6.75 for adults; $4.75 for senior citizens; $3 for students with current ID; and $12 for families. Free for Members and children under 12. Admission is “pay as you wish” on Monday all day and on Thursday after 5 pm. A satellite educational facility is located at the Corcoran’s historic Fillmore School in Georgetown at 1801 35th Street, NW. The public information line for the museum is (202) 639-1700. The public information line for the college is (202) 639-1800.

:: View images and further details from this exhibition

CONTACT:
Kristin Guiter
Manager of Media Relations
(202) 639-1867,
kguiter@corcoran.org

Media Resources:

Curator Laura Coyle

Advance Exhibition Schedule

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