Musée d’Orsay and Art Gallery of South Australia Expand Collections with Historic Acquisitions

The Musée d’Orsay in Paris has recently received a ceramic mask created by French sculptor Jean Carriès around 1890. This enamelled stoneware mask is noted for its fusion of French Gothic revival elements and Japanese ceramic influences, which Carriès encountered at the 1878 Paris Exposition. The technical challenge of firing glazed stoneware became a particular fascination for Carriès, leading him to relocate in 1888 to the village of Saint-Amand-en-Puisaye, a place known for its pottery tradition. It was there that he produced this distinctive mask.

The mask was gifted to the Musée d’Orsay by London sculpture dealer Stuart Lochhead as part of the museum’s 40th anniversary celebrations. The acquisition adds to the museum’s collection of late 19th-century French sculpture and highlights the cross-cultural artistic exchanges that influenced Carriès’s work. The mask’s unsettling appearance and unique blend of styles make it a significant addition to the museum’s holdings.

Meanwhile, the Art Gallery of South Australia in Adelaide has announced the acquisition of a 16th-century portrait of Queen Elizabeth I. This oil on panel painting, created around 1565 by an unknown artist from the British School, measures 37cm by 27cm. The work is set within an engaged frame, meaning the frame is carved from the same piece of wood as the painted surface, a detail characteristic of the period.

According to the Art Gallery of South Australia, this is the first portrait of the Tudor queen to enter an Australian public collection. The acquisition represents a notable expansion of the gallery’s holdings and introduces a rare example of Tudor portraiture to Australian audiences. The painting’s provenance and historical context add to its significance within the gallery’s collection.

Beneath the portrait is a verse famously attributed to Elizabeth I herself: “Christ was the word that spake it: He took the bread and brake it: And what his word did make it: That I believe and take it.” This inscription provides a glimpse into the religious and personal sentiments associated with the monarch and the era in which the portrait was created.

The portrait will be displayed alongside a painting of Elizabeth’s father, King Henry VIII, at the Art Gallery of South Australia. This pairing offers visitors an opportunity to view representations of two significant figures from the Tudor dynasty within the same institution. The addition of the Elizabeth I portrait enriches the gallery’s collection of historical artworks.

Both the Musée d’Orsay and the Art Gallery of South Australia have enhanced their collections with these acquisitions, each reflecting important aspects of their respective artistic and historical traditions. The new works provide audiences with access to significant cultural artefacts and deepen the understanding of cross-cultural influences and historical narratives in art.