Looking at Metalwork Repousse ThinkPairShare What kinds of

Looking at Metalwork Repousse

Think-Pair-Share What kinds of artwork are made from metal?

EOA and POD

Key Term Repousse- a metalworking technique in which a sheet of metal has a design worked into it by pushing the metal in and out from both sides using a variety of tools.

Key Term Chasing- the pushing in of metal on the front of the design.

Terms Chasing is the opposite of Repousse. (Repousse=Push out on back) (Chasing=Push in on front) Metal smiths use both of these techniques together on their pieces.

Using all of the Material The metal is stretched so the sheet remains intact with no loss of material. In French repousse means “pushed out”.

History of Repousse is a very old art form dating from ancient times. Widely used with gold and Gold Mycenaean Cup silver for detailed works. Copper and bronze were used for larger sculptures Agamemnon's Funeral Mask

Early Techniques By the year 3000 B. C. E. semimass production techniques were introduced to avoid repetitive free-hand work. Artisan’s could press sheets of gold into molds carved in intaglio into bone, metal or stone to more easily form a design.

Early Techniques Patterned punches were introduced as early as 2000 BC. to texture the background and sharpen details and relief. Early materials used to fill repousses included mud and resin in Egypt and beeswax in Ancient Greece.

Repousse Tools

Paul Revere was a goldsmith, an engraver , practiced repousses, and a publisher of historical and political cartoons. He was a manufacturer of gunpowder, Church bells, and rolled copper. He even kept a hardware store in Boston, where he sold jewelry and picture frames.

Famous Repousse The largest repousse in the world is the Statue of Liberty.

Famous Repousse The copper of the Statue of Liberty was 2 inches thick. It was heated first, then hammered.

Famous Repousse Portlandia is another famous repousse sculpture. Located in Portland, Oregon. It is the second largest copper repousse in the United States.

Famous Repousse King Tutankhamen's mask is a repousse made of gold. Egyptians used gold because it was a close resource and the metal is soft.

Repousse Today Repousse continues to be used to make decorative plaques and is a popular technique of making jewelry.