Limoges Enamel Triptychs: Three Masterpieces from the Carrand Collection - Paperback

by Paola Venturelli (Editor), Ilaria Ciseri (Editor)

The French city of Limoges was world famous for the production of champlevé enamels during the Middle Ages. During the Renaissance a revival of Limoges enamels took place, but the technique employed was that of painted enamel. Triptychs with a sacred subject, conceived as a painting but shining like jewelry and built with durable materials, became popular. The three works held at the Bargello National Museum in Florence are attributable to Nardon Pénicaud (1470-1542), a primary artist with an active workshop. The three enamel paintings came from the famous collection of Louis Carrand, a Lyon antiquarian, who donated them to the Bargello in the 19th century. Their story is told in Ilaria Ciseri's essay. Paola Venturelli analyzes the historical and artistic aspects of the works and places them in the context of contemporary enamel production. The final contributions from the Opificio delle Pietre Dure address the conservation of the three delicate enamels and analyzes materials and pigments.

Author Biography

Ilaria Ciseri is an art historian, since 2014 she has been curator at the Bargello National Museum in Florence and she has worked on numerous scientific publications. Paola Venturelli teaches History of Lombard Art at the University of Como. She has published essays on the history of goldsmithing and the sumptuary arts of Lombardy.