Section of a Kiln for the Production of Majolika
ca. 1796
Medium
Pen and brown ink with colored washes, over traces of leadpoint
Dimensions
12 15/16 x 8 9/16in. (32.8 x 21.7cm)
Classification
Drawings|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
Accession Number
49.50.202
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 18th century, Bandiera captured the intricate engineering of industrial ceramics production in his detailed drawing *Section of a Kiln the Production of Majol*, dated around 1796. This illustration depicts a cross-section of kiln designed for firing majolica—vibrant, tin-glazed earthenware renowned in Italian workshops. Amid the architectural framework, figures of men at work highlight the labor-intensive process, blending human endeavor with mechanical precision in an era when pottery manufacturing was scaling up across Europe. Rendered in pen and brown ink with colored washes ov...