Dish 1650 - 1750

Bernard Palissy created this ceramic dish sometime in the 16th century. Notice how Palissy meticulously constructs a radial design that directs our gaze from the central flower outward, mimicking the patterns found in nature. The dish presents a compelling dialogue between nature and artifice. The radiating lines create both rhythm and structure while the outer edge, decorated with repetitive motifs, frames the composition. The texture and pattern of the piece highlight a keen interest in natural forms. The very act of rendering organic material into a structured, symmetrical artwork reflects broader philosophical ideas of the Renaissance, an attempt to impose order on the natural world. Palissy doesn't simply replicate nature; he reinterprets it through a lens of artistic control. Consider how the structural form of the dish, symmetrical and self-contained, offers us a way to contemplate the intersection of art, nature, and human understanding.