Art against emptiness
Leaves, dots and crosshatching: These ceramic shards from the 15th century have no empty spaces. | Photo: Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza
Even Aristotle realised it – human beings have an aversion to empty spaces. And we can observe this phenomenon in art too. According to Ariane Milicev, an art historian at the University of Bern, the Venetian ceramic shards shown here – from the 15th and 16th centuries – offer a good example.
There isn’t a single empty space on them. Any potential gaps have been filled instead with decorations ranging from leaves to dots and crosshatching. Milicev is now investigating the techniques used to create them. These shards are most likely the remnants of bowls, though their intended purpose remains a mystery for the moment.
