Storia del vetro di Murano
Il muranese Lorenzo Radi, un pioniere quasi dimenticatoLorenzo Radi, an almost forgotten pioneer in Murano
Lorenzo Radi è stato attivo a Murano nei decenni centrali dell'Ottocento, cioè nel periodo in cui l'arte vetraria tentava, a fatica, di risollevarsi dopo il periodo buio in cui le vicende politiche, la concorrenza degli altri paesi europei e la stessa indolenza dei muranesi l'avevano cacciata.
Era dotato di ingegno e tenacia e, pur non avendo alcuna preparazione tecnica in campo vetrario, riuscì a far rinascere alcune tecniche che ormai si erano perse. Nel 1840 riscoprì il mosaico d'oro e d'argento e poi si applicò ai cosiddetti smalti di difficile riuscita, il color-carne dei mosaici e il calcedonio.
Tecnicamente era molto bravo, ma non aveva alcuna sensibilità artistica e la collaborazione con Salviati valorizzò le sue opere e lo fece uscire dagli angusti confini dell'isola.
In un periodo in cui era di moda il mosaico minuto realizzò in fornace le canne composite utili a far risparmiare al mosaicista l'assemblaggio di minuscoli pezzetti di smalti monocolore.
Lorenzo Radi's glass arte developed in the mid of nineteenth century, when the art of glassmaking was fighting to re-establish itself, after a long decline period, due to different factors such as political events, the growing competitiveness of other European countries and, last but not least, the indolent attitude that had begun to characterize the Muranese craftsmen in the period. Radi had great talent and perseverance and even if he had no technical knowledge in glass the field he succeeded in recovering several ancient techniques. In 1840 Radi rediscovered gold and silver mosaics devoting himself to the development of flesh-coloured enamels and chalcedony which were difficult to obtain. He was very skilful, but did not possess great artistic sensibility, but thanks to is collaboration with Salviati, the value of this work increased, so that he became well-known outside of Murano. He created multi-coloured glass rods, so that mosaic workers no longer hat do assemble small mosaic pieces individually.
Paolo Zecchin Via Cappuccina 13 Mestre Venezia
Lorenzo Radi, an almost forgotten pioneer in Murano
Lorenzo Radi è stato attivo a Murano nei decenni centrali dell'Ottocento, cioè nel periodo in cui l'arte vetraria tentava, a fatica, di risollevarsi dopo il periodo buio in cui le vicende politiche, la concorrenza degli altri paesi europei e la stessa indolenza dei muranesi l'avevano cacciata.
Era dotato di ingegno e tenacia e, pur non avendo alcuna preparazione tecnica in campo vetrario, riuscì a far rinascere alcune tecniche che ormai si erano perse. Nel 1840 riscoprì il mosaico d'oro e d'argento e poi si applicò ai cosiddetti smalti di difficile riuscita, il color-carne dei mosaici e il calcedonio.
Tecnicamente era molto bravo, ma non aveva alcuna sensibilità artistica e la collaborazione con Salviati valorizzò le sue opere e lo fece uscire dagli angusti confini dell'isola.
In un periodo in cui era di moda il mosaico minuto realizzò in fornace le canne composite utili a far risparmiare al mosaicista l'assemblaggio di minuscoli pezzetti di smalti monocolore.
Lorenzo Radi's glass arte developed in the mid of nineteenth century, when the art of glassmaking was fighting to re-establish itself, after a long decline period, due to different factors such as political events, the growing competitiveness of other European countries and, last but not least, the indolent attitude that had begun to characterize the Muranese craftsmen in the period. Radi had great talent and perseverance and even if he had no technical knowledge in glass the field he succeeded in recovering several ancient techniques. In 1840 Radi rediscovered gold and silver mosaics devoting himself to the development of flesh-coloured enamels and chalcedony which were difficult to obtain. He was very skilful, but did not possess great artistic sensibility, but thanks to is collaboration with Salviati, the value of this work increased, so that he became well-known outside of Murano. He created multi-coloured glass rods, so that mosaic workers no longer hat do assemble small mosaic pieces individually.
Paolo Zecchin Via Cappuccina 13 Mestre Venezia
Lorenzo Radi's glass arte developed in the mid of nineteenth century, when the art of glassmaking was fighting to re-establish itself, after a long decline period, due to different factors such as political events, the growing competitiveness of other European countries and, last but not least, the indolent attitude that had begun to characterize the Muranese craftsmen in the period. Radi had great talent and perseverance and even if he had no technical knowledge in glass the field he succeeded in recovering several ancient techniques. In 1840 Radi rediscovered gold and silver mosaics devoting himself to the development of flesh-coloured enamels and chalcedony which were difficult to obtain. He was very skilful, but did not possess great artistic sensibility, but thanks to is collaboration with Salviati, the value of this work increased, so that he became well-known outside of Murano. He created multi-coloured glass rods, so that mosaic workers no longer hat do assemble small mosaic pieces individually.