Gregory Bailey

Gregory Bailey

Booth Family Rome Prize
September 12, 2016–March 13, 2017
Profession
Assistant Conservator, Walters Art Museum
Project title
An Investigation of the Craft Origins and Technology of “Venetian” Enamels on Copper
Project description

During my time at the American Academy in Rome, I will investigate the materials and techniques employed in so-called Venetian enamel objects on copper believed to have been made in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries but whose precise origins and methods of manufacture, including an unusual form of textured gilding, are currently matters of scholarly debate. To reach a better understanding of their significance in the history of art and technology, I will study and document “Venetian” enamel objects on copper in Italian collections, conduct a series of experiments to test theories of manufacture, and research the craft origins as well as the potential influences on later Near Eastern enamels. A soon to be published corpus of “Venetian” enamel objects, including sixty in Italy, will guide my documentation of individual stamps used for the textured gilding, helping to establish groups by workshop. Experiments in printing in gold and enameling will be undertaken in collaboration with Rome-based goldsmiths and artists.