The Toilet of Psyche 1570

This dish, made by Pierre Reymond in France during the 16th century, is enameled earthenware. The process involves coating a base ceramic form with a vitreous enamel, then firing it at high temperatures, which fuses the layers together. Reymond has used the enamel to create a detailed, monochrome scene – the toilet of Psyche – derived from classical mythology. The image’s sharp, engraved quality suggests it was likely transferred onto the dish’s surface using a print. But notice how the act of enameling lends the picture its own distinct character, its subtle gradations of tone, the almost palpable sense of light playing across the scene. This was high-end production at the time, and shows the blurring of boundaries between art and craft. Reymond was clearly drawing on sophisticated graphic sources, yet he was also deeply involved in the technical aspects of ceramic production. The result is a synthesis of design and material, of image and process.