Forthcoming
Guidelines for the Technical Examination of Bronze Sculpture
Edited by David Bourgarit, Jane Bassett, Francesca G. Bewer, Arlen Heginbotham, Andrew Lacey, and Peta Motture
Coming 2023 (Online, E-book, PDF, Paperback)
Since the fourth millennium BCE, bronze has been the preferred medium for some of the most prestigious and sacred works of art. But only through interdisciplinary research can the fabrication of these extraordinary objects be properly investigated, interpreted, and documented. This innovative publication bridges the expertise of myriad art-technological specialists to create a new framework for advancing the understanding of bronze sculpture.
Essential reading for curators, conservators, scientists, archaeologists, sculptors, metallurgists, founders, dealers, collectors, and anyone interested in the life cycle of a bronze, this volume explains how to identify the evidence of process steps, metals used, casting defects, and surface work and alterations before moving on to address analytical techniques ranging from visual exams to imaging, material analyses, and dating. The guidelines are accompanied by detailed illustrations, including videos, charts, and animations; a robust vocabulary ensuring precision across English, German, French, Italian, and Chinese; a diverse selection of case studies; and a comprehensive bibliography.
The free online edition of this open-access publication will be available here, at getty.edu/publications/bronze-guidelines/, and will include videos and zoomable illustrations. Also available will be free PDF and EPUB downloads of the book. A paperback edition will also be available for purchase.
Contents
- Director’s Foreword
- Acknowledgments
- General Introduction — Francesca G. Bewer and David Bourgarit
- Volume I: Evidence of Process Steps
- I.1: Casting Processes — Francesca G. Bewer, David J. Reid, Peta Motture, and David Bourgarit
- I.2: Metals — David Bourgarit
- I.3: Casting Defects — Jean-Marie Welter, David Bourgarit, Andrew Lacey, and Francesca G. Bewer
- I.4: Repairs — Jane Bassett and Lorenzo Morigi
- I.5: Assembly — Donna Strahan and Benoît Mille
- I.6: Tool Marks — Pete Dandridge and David Bourgarit
- I.7: Gilding and Plating — Susan La Niece and Dominique Robcis
- I.8: Patina — Ann Boulton, Susanne Gänsicke, and Shelley Sturman
- I.9: Inlays and Overlays — Jeffrey Maish and Annabelle Collinet
- Volume II: Analytical Techniques
- II.1: Planning and Documenting Your Technical Exam — David Bourgarit and Arlen Heginbotham
- II.2: Photography and Other Imaging Techniques for the Visualization of a Sculpture — Clotilde Boust and David Bourgarit
- II.3: Radiography and Tomography for the Visualization of the Metal Wall and the Interior — Elsa Lambert and David Bourgarit
- II.4: Measurements of Dimension — David Bourgarit and Francesca G. Bewer
- II.5: Metal Analysis — Arlen Heginbotham and David Bourgarit
- II.6: Surface Layer Analysis — David Bourgarit
- II.7: Core Analysis — Manon Castelle and Chandra L. Reedy
- II.8: Dating Methods — Antoine Zink, Stéphanie Leroy, and Arlen Heginbotham
- II.9: Experimental Simulation — David Bourgarit
- Case Studies
- Case Study 1: Reconsideration of a Monumental Roman Relief: The Dolphins of Vienne, France — Benoît Mille
- Case Study 2: Exquisite Objects, Prodigious Technique: Aquamanilia, Vessels of the European Middle Ages — Pete Dandridge
- Case Study 3: Determining the Casting Process of a 3,000-Year-Old Bronze Elephant from China — Donna Strahan
- Case Study 4: The Technical Investigation of Eighth-, Ninth-, and Tenth-Century Statuettes from Indonesia — Mathilde Mechling and David Bourgarit
- Case Study 5: One Commission, Two Sculptors, How Many Founders? A Technical Study of Three Renaissance Statues from the Monument of the Heart of Duke Anne de Montmorency — Manon Castelle and David Bourgarit
- Case Study 6: Medicine Whip (Indian on Horseback): The Making of an American Sand-Cast Bronze through Contemporary (and Modern-Day) Eyes — Ann Boulton
- Case Study 7: Interview: A Contemporary Artist-Founder on a Horse: Choices of Materials and Processes — Andrew Lacey and David Bourgarit
- Vocabulary
- Visual Atlas of Features
- Bibliography
- About the Contributors
Published with Quire™ by Getty Publications