Press Release
The Wit and Whimsy of Victorian Majolica:New Exhibition at SFO Showcases Nineteenth Century Ceramics
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CONTACT: Jane Sullivan
Manager, Marketing and Communications
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SF-08-08
The Wit and Whimsy of Victorian Majolica:
New Exhibition at SFO Showcases Nineteenth Century Ceramics
SAN FRANCISCO -- The Wit and Whimsy of Victorian Majolica, now on view at SFO, showcases more than fifty pieces of nineteenth-century English and French “majolica,” brightly glazed ceramic ware well known for its depiction of naturalistic scenes, folk themes, exotic motifs and wild combinations of elements.
Majolica was the perfect ceramic for the Victorian era. Its rich colors, eclectic mix of styles, and dramatic or whimsical modeling appealed to the nineteenth-century audience, which reveled in decorative arts that displayed technical skill and elaborate design. Objects included in the exhibition - such as a Renaissance Revival wine cistern celebrating Bacchus (Minton & Co, c. 1850) and a plate with three fish (Léon Brard, c. 1859) - reflect this aesthetic. The exhibition also features works by Forester and Sons, George Jones & Sons, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons, Victoria Pottery Company, W.T. Copeland & Sons, Clément Massier factory, Delphin Massier factory, Jérôme Massier fils factory, Polakowski and Co., Joseph Landais, François Maurice and Alfred Renoleau.
The Wit and Whimsy of Victorian Majolica is located pre-security in the International Terminal Main Hall and is on view through September 7, 2008. There is no charge to view the exhibition.
Selected images from the exhibition are available online at http://www.flysfo.com/web/page/about/news/pressres/exh-majolica.html.
San Francisco Airport Museums
The San Francisco Airport Museums program was established by the Airport Commission in 1980 for the purposes of humanizing the Airport environment, providing visibility for the unique cultural life of San Francisco, and providing educational services for the traveling public. The Museum was granted initial accreditation from the American Association of Museums in 1999, reaccredited in 2005, and has the distinction of being the only accredited museum in an airport. Today, the San Francisco Airport Museums features approximately twenty galleries throughout the Airport terminals displaying a rotating schedule of art, history, science, and cultural exhibitions, as well as the San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Library and Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum, a permanent collection dedicated to the history of commercial aviation.
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