Palissy the Potter
The Life of Bernard Palissy, of Saintes, his Labours and Discoveries in Art and Science

This two-volume biography of the sixteenth-century French potter and natural scientist Bernard Palissy was published in 1852.

Henry Morley (Author)

9781108078078, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 2 April 2015

366 pages
21.6 x 14 x 2.1 cm, 0.47 kg

This two-volume biography of the sixteenth-century French potter and natural scientist Bernard Palissy (c.1510–c.1590) was published in 1852, the year after the Great Exhibition, in which Palissy's extraordinary art had been brought before the Victorian public by Minton's highly decorated 'Palissy wares'. Henry Morley (1822–94) trained in medicine but later became an author and editor, writing for Charles Dickens among others. Here he gathers together all the material then available about Palissy, including the potter's own writings and a contemporary biography. Palissy was among the many European ceramicists who attempted to reproduce Chinese porcelain; his lack of success drove his family into poverty, but his highly ornamented wares, encrusted with sea creatures, came to the attention of Catherine de' Medici, who gave him her patronage and protection (he was a convinced Protestant). After her death he was sent to the Bastille, and died there.

1. Palissy rescued
2. Contents of the book
3. Further contents of the book
4. Palissy removes from Saintes
5. Palissy in Paris
6. The naturalist publishes, in a last book, his mature opinions
7. Doctrines of Palissy
8. Doctrines of Palissy (cont.)
9. Doctrines of Palissy (cont.)
10. Doctrines of Palissy (cont.)
11. The rewards of the philosopher
Appendix
Writings of Palissy
Index.

Subject Areas: The arts: general issues [AB]