by Manuela Clemente
One of the most interesting aspects of Laterza ceramics in the 16th and 17th centuries, extensively explored in historical research and publications, is the variety of themes that inspired them.
Mythological elements, scenes of everyday life, a richly detailed landscape and naturalistic repertoire, romantic and heraldic themes, geometric and floral decorations, and finally devotional themes, characterize all the ceramic production of the Laertine workshops, alongside the richness of formal typologies, glazes, and polychrome decorations. These elements define the great pictorial skill demonstrated in the production of extraordinary technical and artistic prowess, which we witness today.
The ceramic tradition, which has found in Laterza a new generation of ceramists, inspired by the past in talent, skill, and invention, finds in its artistic expressions ever-new visual formulations that sometimes embrace and imitate ancient narratives, sometimes propose new ones, gradually constructing ever-renewed languages that look to the past through the eyes of contemporary reality. In the history of art, everyday objects, even those intended for diverse purposes, always carry meanings that transversally engage the realms of communication, knowledge, emotion, and memory. Thus, analyzing artisanal and artistic production such as the one under study leads to its exemplification in a design context that attracts a social consensus destined to become a community value and engage with collective history.
It is clear that Laterza majolica, compared to other Italian experiences, both classical and contemporary, presents a prestigious prevalence of the decorative aspect over the functional and utilitarian, so that even the choice of figurative themes is destined to attract an audience of scholars and collectors with refined culture, with a need for friezes and representation.
However, the work in question, created by Grottega and dedicated to the cult of Maria SS Mater Domini, the embodiment of purity, motherhood, and protection, presents a dual aspect. On the one hand, the fresco behind the altar in the crypt of the Sanctuary of the same name depicts a devotional theme, more commonly reserved for popular religious communication with simple, immediate, and highly expressive forms, responding to a spiritual need that places particular emphasis on the iconographic and symbolic value of the image. On the other, it depicts a metaphorical description of an object that, along with numerous other symbols, emblematically links the Marian cult, which is renewed each year in the month of May, to the community of Laterza: the Virgin's precious dress, entirely embroidered in gold on a light background.
The decoration on the rims of some of the plates in this collection, in third-fire gold over white enamel, is the result of a study and simplification of the embroidery the workshop carried out on the dress. The reduction of forms to essential lines, the adaptation of the parts, textures, and elements that compose the decoration, preserve the image's recognizability and symbolic power. One can discern vine shoots and swirls, flowers, and reticulate sections with ruby red and emerald green details, as reflected in the exquisite details of the fabric.
The devotional function and the artistic value of the image coexist inextricably, and describe in a highly iconic way, a rich figurative heritage that revolves around the sacred figure of the Mater Domini, in a production specifically studied and created to celebrate her, and all the applications that derive from religious and popular worship.
It is worth noting that, in the works created, predominantly in monochrome turquoise – as in the 17th and 18th century tradition – and gold on white or ivory enamel, the use of manganese brown and various shades, also rendered with the sponging technique, in warm tones – aimed at making the reproduction of the fresco as lifelike as possible – typical of a phase that, starting from the second half of the 18th century in Laterza, marked a clear change in the taste of Laterza ceramics.
Manuela Clemente
Art historian and independent curator.
After graduating, an archaeological excavation experience with the University of Bari at the Egnazia Archaeological Park (Monopoli – BA) and an assignment for the Taranto Provincial Authority for the cataloging of the area's cultural heritage, she attended a specialization course for curators in Milan with Flavio Arensi and collaborated and directed several cultural projects in Puglia and Basilicata.
Since 2014, with the Trisma Cooperative Society, he has conceived, designed, and created exhibition itineraries in various public and private spaces, collaborating with administrations, local authorities, and galleries.
From 2009 to 2023, she worked in the Vocational Training sector, following specific recovery programs for minors in situations of social disadvantage.
Since 2020, he has explored the technical and artistic aspects of traditional and contemporary ceramics, launching new scientific projects in the sector.
He is a contributor to the magazine LA CERAMICA MODERNA E ANTICA, the AiCC's reference journal.