Online Course on Spanish Domestic Silverware of the 16th and 17th Centuries
Image courtesy of Friends of the National Museum of Decorative Arts Association
The Association of the Friends of the National Museum of Decorative Arts (La Asociación de Amigos del Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas) has organized a six-session online course, La Platería Doméstica Española de los Siglos XVI y XVII (Spanish Domestic Silverware of the 16th and 17th Centuries).
Participants will learn about the characteristics of Spanish domestic silverware during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, paying attention to its typological development according to uses, customs, and the dictates of the ceremonial protocol. They will also learn about the nature of the material, common techniques, classification systems, and various styles from the Renaissance to the Baroque era.
Art historian Margarita Pérez Grande will teach the course. An Associate Professor in the Department of Art History at the Complutense University of Madrid and Professor at the Antonio de Nebrija University and the Spanish Gemological Institute, her research focuses on silverware and jewelry. Her publications include two books on silverware, La platería en la colegiata de Talavera de la Reina (Silverware in the collegiate church of Talavera de la Reina) and Los plateros de Toledo en 1626 (Toledo Silversmiths in 1626), as well as articles in specialized magazines, exhibition catalogs, and conference proceedings.
The Program
The course is from September 19 until October 24, from 5 to 6:30 PM on the Zoom Platform.
September 19: Introduction. Chronological framework. Materials and techniques. Marking.
September 26: The construction of courtly classicism and its generalization as a hallmark of Spanish art. The irruption of the baroque and the appearance of new models. Ornamental motifs.
October 3: Typology (I): tableware and table service.
October 10: Typology (II): drinking pieces. Dressers.
October 17: Typology (III): lighting, office and institutional pieces.
October 24: cataloging criteria. Cataloging card template. Sources of reference. Practical examples.
Registration Information
The deadline for registration is September 14, 2023.
Participants access the course on the Zoom platform. Upon completion, they will receive a certificate of attendance from the Association of Friends of the National Museum of Decorative Arts.
For additional registration information, contact La Asociación de Amigos del Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas.
The Friends of the National Museum of Decorative Arts Association is a private non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and supporting the conservation, study, and dissemination of the cultural heritage holdings of the National Museum of Decorative Arts in Madrid.
©Photography courtesy of Friends of the National Museum of Decorative Arts Association.