Reflecting Antiquity examines the rediscovery of Roman glass and brings together 112 objects from more than 24 international lenders, featuring ancient Roman originals as well as the modern works they inspired. More than 70 objects come from the collection of The Corning Museum of Glass, reflecting the museum’s extensive collection of glass objects from all periods and cultures, the most comprehensive collection of glass in the world.

“Our collaboration with the J. Paul Getty Museum to develop this exhibition draws on the unique scholarship and collections of both of our institutions,” said David Whitehouse, executive director of The Corning Museum of Glass and exhibition co-curator. “Uniting treasures from our extensive collection with objects from the Getty, and with other works rarely seen in the United States, this spectacular assemblage offers scholars and the general public alike a new perspective on the history of Roman glass and its influence on modern production.”

The exhibition is co-curated by David Whitehouse, executive director of The Corning Museum of Glass, and Karol Wight, curator of antiquities for the J. Paul Getty Museum. The exhibition will be on view in Corning from February 15, 2007 – May 27, 2008.

“This exhibition allows us to demonstrate the relevance of the ancient world in art throughout history, including modern times,” said Michael Brand, director of the J. Paul Getty Museum. “We are grateful to The Corning Museum of Glass and to the many lenders who helped us bring together a wide array of original works, reproductions, and modern inspirations in such a comprehensive exhibition demonstrating the influence of ancient Roman glass.”

Exhibition Highlights

Many of the objects on view rarely travel for exhibition and some are being presented in the United States for the first time. The exhibition includes works on loan from a distinguished group of international museums: The British Museum; the Römisch-Germanisches Museum, Cologne; the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna; the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris; the Museo del Vetro, Murano; and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, as well as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Yale University Art Gallery, among many others.

Exhibition highlights include rare examples of ancient Roman originals showcased alongside exquisite modern works inspired by ancient forms and techniques:

* Cage cups, vessels with three-dimensional open decoration, including the remarkable fourth-century Rothschild Lycurgus Cup from The British Museum, featuring an openwork frieze representing the death of Lycurgus, a mythical Thracian king, as well as cage cups from Corning’s collection and the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Modern imitations include the 1878 Imitation of the Strasbourg Cage Cup from the Museo del Vetro and the 1958 “Diatreta” Vase from Corning’s collection, created by the renowned artist Frederick Carder when he was in his 90s.

* Extraordinary examples of original Roman mosaic glass, including a first century BC–first century AD Dish from the Getty’s collection and the unusual Patella Cup from Corning’s collection with face canes embedded in the bottom of the cup. Lustrous modern imitations from the studios of Murano complement the ancient works.

* Examples of Roman cameo glass including the 25 BC–AD 25 Auldjo Jug from the British Museum and a perfume flask from the Getty along with multiple 1870s replicas of the Portland Vasefrom Corning’s collection.

* Imitations of Venetian Renaissance originals, with the 1878 Copy of the Coppa Barovier and a delicate c. 1870–80 Covered Winged Gobletfrom Corning’s collections.

* Gold glass, represented by the exquisite fourth-century Disch Cantharus, as well as a late 19th-century Venetian imitation, both from Corning’s collections.

Roman Glass and Its Legacy

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, archeological excavations in Greece and Italy, including sites such as Pompeii and Herculaneum, as well as further afield in the Middle East, and Egypt, yielded many examples of Roman glass. Amid growing demand for products influenced by past periods as well as a desire to reinvigorate their flagging industry, manufacturers found inspiration in Roman antiquity and broad new production quickly followed.

Modern glassmakers first sought to replicate ancient techniques, and attempted to reproduce Roman masterpieces. As they grew more familiar with the forms, the glassmakers began to reinterpret the masterpieces with their own designs and shapes, resulting in the growth of commercial production in areas inspired by the ancient objects, from cameo and gold glass, to mosaic and iridescent glass. The manufacturing techniques and designs developed during this period continue to influence glassmakers today.

This rediscovery of Roman glass coincided with the European Historismus movement, a 19th-century fascination with, and reproduction of, the artistic forms of the past, from antiquity to the Baroque period, in art, architecture, fashion, and nearly all aspects of design. The movement brought styles from a number of historic periods to glassmakers and captivated them with a variety of production methods, shapes, and designs that were previously unknown to them. As they became proficient in these techniques, their works, sometimes replicas of well-known pieces, were displayed at world fairs throughout Europe and the United States, and were heralded as the finest in the glass industry.

With the growing popularity of historical glass replicas, some European firms began commercial reproduction of ancient Roman glass. While most vessels were handmade, the firm of Ludwig Felmer in Mainz, Germany, developed a mechanized process to reproduce the pieces. The firm of Rheinische Glasshütten-Actien-Gesellschaft (A.G.) in Ehrenfeld, Germany, marketed sets of the historical glassware for household use. In his 30 years as director of the Rheinische Glasshütten A.G., Oskar Rauter visited museums and private collections throughout Europe and on the East Coast of the United States, taking copious notes — including thoughts on dating, detailed information on decoration and color, and aspects of manufacture — and making numerous sketches of glass vessels he intended to reproduce in Ehrenfeld. Because many of the pieces he studied were destroyed in World War II, his notebooks are now the only surviving resource on several of these artifacts.

Ancient Roman works continue to inspire contemporary glassmakers. With increasingly more effective analytical methods utilized to understand the composition of ancient glass, contemporary glassmakers can look to the original artifacts to more precisely reproduce ancient techniques. Their continuing efforts to replicate and emulate ancient works are a testament to the timeless beauty of Roman glass vessels and to the unknown artisans who created them. The exhibition showcases several contemporary works that replicate ancient glassmaking techniques.

Museum Programs

In conjunction with the exhibition, the Corning Museum will present an array of programs to provide visitors with a greater understanding of the glass objects on view in the exhibition. Engagement with live glassmaking is central to the experience at the Museum. These programs complement the history and the artistry of glass showcased in exhibitions and the permanent collection, and allow visitors to learn about the full scope of the material, from its creation to its myriad uses.

At the Museum’s daily live glassblowing demonstrations, glassmakers will create works that reproduce the forms used by Roman glassmakers and showcase the techniques used by artists of the ancient era.

Visitors will be encouraged to try in-gallery hands-on activities, including examining cast glass relief patterns and creating designs for their own Roman-style patterns with paper rubbings. Six short films will also be presented in the exhibition, showing a variety of techniques used in making the ancient forms.

Visitors may also participate in Make Your Own Glass experiences in the Museum’s Studio that further explore the ancient Roman theme. Year-round, the Museum offers 40-minute workshops in glass beadmaking, glassblowing and other glassmaking techniques. During the duration of Reflecting Antiquities, visitors of all ages may design sandblasted vessels inspired by ancient Roman glass styles.

The Museum’s Rakow Library, the world’s foremost library on the art and history of glass and glassmaking, will also present an exhibition of related archival materials drawn from its extensive collections. Featured materials will include books, auction house catalogs, illustrations, drawings, and other holdings reflecting the interest in Greek and Roman Antiquity during the 19th century. Highlights include materials relating to the Portland Vase and cameo glass, hand colored plates from the private library of the avid French collector Julien Gréau, and pattern books of classical design models which served as inspiration for artists and glassmaking firms. -- www.cmog.org