The technical study of works of art is critical to understanding how artists of all cultures and periods worked, to the materiality and processes that underlay their creativity, and ultimately to how they were able to captivate and inspire viewers, both in their own day and through the centuries to museum goers today. This is certainly true of the history of bronze sculpture, the subject of this study. Recent decades have seen great strides in the application of ever broader and more sophisticated methods of examining bronze sculptures, providing insights not only into their art history but also into the trade in raw materials, the transfers of technical know-how over space and time, and the development of new technologies and industries. This research relies increasingly on international collaboration among scholars from many disciplines and institutions. Essential to our continuing success in this pursuit will be a shared understanding of the most informative avenues of technical investigation and the development of a common vocabulary for reporting and recording the results of this research.
This richly illustrated publication offers a guide to the interdisciplinary study of bronzes through clear and concise summaries of best-practice methodologies for the technical examination (Volume I) and analytical methods (Volume II) applicable to this medium, thus providing researchers from all relevant disciplines with a common grounding in this rapidly evolving field. The multilingual vocabulary presented here will allow experts in multiple specializations to communicate the results of new research on the materiality and making of bronze sculpture in a more precise, consistent, and timely manner. The section of case studies illustrates the real-world application of these methods and how they have enhanced our understanding of individual sculptures from a variety of cultures and periods. Reflecting Getty’s commitment to open content, these resources are here provided in an open-access digital format, along with a print-on-demand book option, ensuring they will reach the widest possible audience of scholars and enthusiasts.
This project is the fruit of collaboration among over fifty specialists from a diversity of fields, founded on the hope that it will inspire other researchers to further expand the appreciation and understanding of the art of bronze casting. In thanking our partners and their respective institutions, we also acknowledge with gratitude the publication’s editors and their institutions: cultural heritage scientist David Bourgarit of the Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France, who was key to the project from its inception; curators Francesca G. Bewer and Peta Motture (retired), respectively of the Harvard Art Museums and the Victoria and Albert Museum; independent artist-founder-researcher Andrew Lacey; and the initiators of the project at the Getty Museum, our own conservators of Sculpture and Decorative Arts, Jane Bassett and Arlen Heginbotham.
- Timothy PottsMaria Hummer-Tuttle and Robert Tuttle DirectorJ. Paul Getty Museum