1900"

Corrected version.

CALL FOR PAPERS: Session at the CAA 92nd Annual Conference, Seattle,
February 18-21 2004

"A Fragile Alliance: Porcelain as Sculpture 1700 to 1900"

Throughout the recent history of sculpture, porcelain has played a
significant role in the oeuvres of some of the most influential artists of
the 18th and 19th centuries, including Bustelli, Falconet, Flaxman,
Carrier-Belleuse and Rodin. Yet despite our knowledge of the working
relationships that existed between artists and ceramic firms throughout the
period, the decorative connotations of porcelain have largely overshadowed
its place in sculptural aesthetics. Both in art history and in museological
practice, porcelain objects tend be regarded as a homogenous group, classed
by period and manufacturer, rather than as distinct artistic endeavours.
While this is partly a consequence of the systems by which porcelain is
produced, it has also resulted in the oversight of particular genres within
these systems, notably porcelain’s position as a sculptural material. This
conference proposes to reconsider the role of porcelain as a sculptural
material between 1700 and 1900.

We seek papers that explore the position of porcelain in the history of
sculpture, by questioning the implications of sculptors’ relationships with
ceramic firms; for example, what attracted sculptors to work with porcelain
firms, and how did their ceramic work relate to their academic careers? What
role did porcelain play in commercial sculpture reproductions? Were
porcelain sculptures included in art criticism - and if not, how and where
were they discussed? Papers are invited that explore these and related
issues through case studies or broader theoretical discussions.

Please send proposals of no more than 500 words, preferably by email, to:

Martina Droth, martinahenry-moore.ac.uk, Henry Moore Institute, 74 The
Headrow, Leeds LS1 3AH, United Kingdom; and Alison Yarrington,
awyleicester.ac.uk, History of Art Department, University of Leicester,
Leicester LE1 7RH, United Kingdom. Deadline 12 May 2003.

CFP posted by Dr Martina Droth
Research Co-ordinator (External)
Henry Moore Institute
74 The Headrow
Leeds LS1 3AH
Tel: 0113 2467467
Fax: 0113 2461481
Email: martinahenry-moore.ac.uk