Through the Venetian looking glass
My artnet piece on why the Murano glass is more than half full.
The Getty shop justifies a colorful goblet’s $45 tag since it hails from the Venetian island Murano, “famous for its highly prized, collectible glass” made with “centuries-old techniques.” Walmart notes a $57.95 plum figure embodies Murano’s “richness of color, originality, and unparalleled craftsmanship” and was “handcrafted under a small flame by a family of Murano glass artisans in their small workshop using techniques first developed centuries ago and passed from father to son.”
Stunning yet pricey, Murano glass is frequently hawked thusly. So what’s the fuss? And if Murano is that special, what should one know upon encountering it in the wild? I wrote on the subject for artnet, focusing on the current exhibit “Sargent, Whistler, and Venetian Glass: American Artists and the Magic of Murano” (through May 8) at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
You can read the artnet article here.
The higher Wal Mart price -- priceless
What a wonderful piece on "the social life" of Murano glass