March 9 – June 29, 2008
Deruta – Italy

Last week Manuela and I went to Deruta to visit a temporary exhibition held at the local Museum of Ceramics.

The exhibition, titled “Deruta pottery interprets Pintoricchio”, is one of the many events organized in Umbria to celebrate the 550th anniversary of the painter’s birth, whose influence greatly contributed to the success of Deruta ceramics during the Renaissance.

The Museum Committee has asked 29 individual ceramic artists and small factories to creatively interpret Pintoricchio’s heritage. The result is very interesting, indeed.

While highlighting the contribution of Bernardino di Betto, called Pintoricchio or Pinturicchio to Deruta pottery, the exhibition implicitly reminds the visitors of the large amount of talent which, six centuries after Pinturicchio, is still at work in this charming ancient village.

The exhibitions features very qualitative ceramic works: most of them are figurative art, a minority is abstract art. We loved the portrait paintings, in the purest style of the Renaissance pieces that built the huge reputation of Deruta ceramics. Awesome portraits of the Virgin Mary, angels, knights and noblemen from Pinturicchio’s frescoes are beautifully interpreted by the artists with a mixture of traditional techniques and contemporary taste.

Portraits are certainly the subject that better embodies the influence of Pinturicchio on Deruta pottery.
Although it’s not clear yet how and why his works became such an important source of subjects for Deruta potters, it’s well agreed among the scholars that the fine heads, the sweet moods, the richness of details originate from Pinturicchio’s works. Just as the harmonious colors, rich in red and yellow, which add so much emotion to the characters.
Importantly, the golden lusters, that were the pride of Deruta potters during the Renaissance, appear to be positively inspired by the golden decorations that are one of the distinctive aspects of the painter’s style.

Among the artists who took part in this project, we’re proud to mention Alvaro Binaglia. He took inspiration for his ceramic painting from a detail of the frescos painted by Pinturicchio in the Cathedral in Siena. Alvaro is one of the best Renaissance style ceramicists in Deruta and we are really proud to feature his works in our on line collection of fine Italian pottery.

Regional Museum of Ceramics
Largo San Francesco – Deruta
Mon/Sun: 10.00/13.00 – 15:00/18:00
Tel. 0039 075 9711000
deruta@sistemamuseo.it