Introducing The History of Ceramics
The History of Ceramics brings together British art historian & curator Paul Greenhalgh and U.S. maker and academic Stephanie Rozene as they reveal the most surprising stories from this often-overlooked corner of art history. Stories from around the world and across time, from the very first shards that shed light on early civilizations, to stories of power, political intrigue and espionage. Famous artists, extraordinary characters, pioneers and rebels from the world of pottery, architecture and design who have all played a role in elevating ceramics to the heart of the art world and into the homes and lives of enthusiasts right around the globe. Full of revelation, insight and practical expertise , The History of Ceramics offers an alternative history to our times.
Professor Paul Greenhalgh is a specialist on the art and design of the Modern period. He has written widely on Art Nouveau and curated several exhibitions including the major survey Art Nouveau 1890-1914, which toured internationally (2000-01). His books include Ephemeral Vistas (1988), Modernism in Design (1990), Art Nouveau 1890–1914 (2000), The Modern Ideal (2005), Fair World (2011), L’Art Nouveau: La Revolution Decorative (2013), Ceramic Art and Civilisation (2021) and Pablo Picasso: The Legacy of Youth (2022). He has held positions as Head of Research at the V&A Museum, London; President and Director at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington DC; Director of the Sainsbury Centre, Norwich; and Inaugural Director of the Zaha Hadid Foundation, London. He was born and raised in Bolton, and is a proud Lancastrian.
Stephanie Rozene is a ceramic artist, Professor of Art, and the Ceramics Program Coordinator at Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York she has been teaching, writing and making art since 2004. At Hartwick she's been honored with the Wandersee Scholar in Residence award twice, along with the Teacher Scholar Award. Stephanie's research uses historical ornament and porcelain as a visual language to critique contemporary political rhetoric, and she also explores the history of clay as a cooking tool. Her work has been shown extensively both nationally and internationally. She is a member of the International Academy of Ceramics and is the Vice President of the board of trustees for the Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts in Newcastle, Maine, and was educated at NSCAD University in Nova Scotia, Canada and the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University.
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39:31
The First Pot
In this episode Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene travel back to the earliest civilisations to find out how they created the very first ceramic objects and what that meant to the story of mankind.
57.36
Adelaide Alsop Robineau - The Pioneering Potter
In this episode Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene discuss the life and work of Adelaide Alsop Robineau who made the Mona Lisa of American ceramics – the Scarab Vase – that was later stolen in an audacious art heist.
35.42
Picasso The Potter
In this episode Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene discuss the period of Picasso’s life when he became a potter, in a combination of painting and sculpture that transformed ceramics.
39:31
The First Pot
In this episode Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene travel back to the earliest civilisations to find out how they created the very first ceramic objects and what that meant to the story of mankind.
View episode
57.36
Adelaide Alsop Robineau - The Pioneering Potter
In this episode Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene discuss the life and work of Adelaide Alsop Robineau who made the Mona Lisa of American ceramics – the Scarab Vase – that was later stolen in an audacious art heist.
View episode
35.42
Picasso The Potter
In this episode Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene discuss the period of Picasso’s life when he became a potter, in a combination of painting and sculpture that transformed ceramics.
View episode
38.44
The Ceramic Wars
In this episode Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene travel to East Asia, to explore the complicated relations between Korea and Japan in the 16th and 17th centuries, and how this played out in the world of ceramics.
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30:40:00
White Gold - The Race for Porcelain (Part 1)
In this episode Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene dive into the story of Europe’s obsession with porcelain – otherwise known as white gold – and the race to discover its secret formula.
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45:57
Secret Formula - The Race for Porcelain (Part 2)
In this second episode Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene pick up the story of Europe’s obsession with porcelain and the race to discover its secret formula.
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56.22
Sèvres - Power, Porcelain & Prestige
In this episode Paul and Stephanie discuss how Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour, and Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette's passion for porcelain created one of the most famous and revered names in the history of ceramics, Sèvres.
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51:34
Josiah Wedgwood - Part 1
In the next two episodes Paul Greenhalgh is joined by Sir Tristram Hunt as they travel back to 18th century England and the life and work of Josiah Wedgwood - potter, scientist and abolitionist and creator of one of the most famous ceramic companies in British history.
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45.11
Josiah Wedgwood - Part 2
In this episode Paul Greenhalgh is joined by Sir Tristram Hunt for the 2nd part about the life and work of Josiah Wedgwood - creator of one of the most famous ceramic companies in British history.
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