AMALRIC WALTER
The rediscovery of the pâte de verre
2nd February – 12th May 2013
Glass Museum, Murano
The secrets and creative innovations associated with pâte de verre, one of the most ancient and unusual ways of working glass, is examined in a major exhibition dedicated to the French artist, Amalric Walter (Sèvres, 1870 – Lury-sur-Arnon, 1959) and his artistic production, with an unprecedented and comprehensive range of works.
Already mastered in the past by Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans, and also known to the great glassmakers of Murano, this technique lived through a new flourishing period in France between the end of the 19th and start of the 20th century, at a time of great change in the visual, decorative and plastic arts. It was in this context that after many trials and experiments, based in part on the studies and publications of such predecessors as Henry Cros and Albert Dammouse, that Amalric Walter succeeded in finding the mysterious “binder” that was jealously guarded by the masters.
There are over 450 objects on show, organised chronologically, covering the entire production of the artist and highlighting the various themes tackled with this special technique. These are accompanied by paper documents, original photographs, unique pieces and objects with religious symbols, in which emerges the special alchemy of his work, formed of sweetness, meditation, fantasy and colour.
Curators: Paolo Bellomo and Carlo Mitarotonda