The Discovery of Glass 1565 - 1580

"The Discovery of Glass" is a drawing on paper by Giovanni Maria Butteri, dated between 1565 and 1580. The drawing, an oval shape with the upper two corners cut off, is housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. It depicts the moment when a group of figures, including a man holding a bowl, have just discovered the properties of glass, possibly through a process of heating sand. The drawing’s subject matter likely references an ancient legend about the origin of glassblowing. The drawing is in the artist’s characteristic style, with the figures and the background rendered with meticulous detail. The artist’s skill in representing the human form, combined with the dramatic composition, makes this drawing a powerful testament to the power of artistic expression.