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Visual History:
Frances Palmer
Frances Palmer is one of the most talked about ceramicists in the United States, renowned for the simple beauty and seamless functionality of her pieces. Though she trained as an art historian, her love of working with her hands, whether in the kitchen, the garden, or the ceramics studio, led her to launch her line of pottery in 1987. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including "T Magazine," "Elle Décor," "Vogue," "Martha Stewart Living" and "The World of Interiors."
Rembrandt’s Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer 1653
When Palmer was a growing up in Morristown, New Jersey, her mother would often take her to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. “I must have been around seven and to this day remember standing before Rembrandt's ‘Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer,’ painted in 1653,” Palmer says. “I was mesmerized by the thickly painted gold chain. After that I spent most of my time, even in elementary school, reading books on art and history.”
Print by Felix Vallotton
In high school Palmer decided to become a printmaker and made many woodcuts and linocuts. She was influenced by two artists: Fritz Eichenberg, who illustrated “Wuthering Heights” and “Jane Eyre,” and Felix Vallotton. “I would read those books over and over and Eichenberg's style had a great influence on my work. I was fascinated by Vallotton, whose minimalism was intriguing for the late 1890s,” she says.
Omega Group Interior
Although she was admitted to art school for printmaking, Plamer ended up doing a B.A. and M.A. in art history. “The historical side continued to fascinate,” she says. She was particularly intrigued by the Omega Workshop, a group of English artists active around the period of the First World War. “I adored their paintings, ceramics and gardens but mostly how they lived a life around their unified aesthetic,” Palmer says. “When we moved to Connecticut and I had young children, I decided to pursue ceramics. When I first learned to throw, I was looking at the shapes and paintings of these artists.”
Palmer's Garden In Connecticut Photographed By Julie Curtis
Twenty years ago Palmer visited and was mesmerized by the San Francisco dahlia garden in Golden Gate Park. “I determined to grow them in Connecticut, too. Since then, I have continued to pursue my love of the flower and experiment with hundreds of dahlia varieties,” Palmer says. Since this shot was taken, her gardens have expanded.