Painting with Fire: Susanne de Court and the Art of Enamel

In the spring of 2027, The Frick Collection will present the first exhibition ever dedicated to the French enameler Susanne de Court. Active around 1600, De Court is a significant yet enigmatic figure in the creation of painted enamels—one of the distinctive art forms of the French Renaissance, treasured over the centuries for its durability, lively religious and mythological subjects, and jewel-like colors. With nearly one hundred surviving works, De Court is the only woman known to have made enamels in her era and is widely believed to have been the only woman to lead a workshop in Limoges, the center of enamel production in France.

This exhibition will bring together, for the first time, around fifty of De Court’s signed works, inviting visitors to discover the artist’s practice and some of the finest examples of her extraordinary output. The works on display will showcase her distinctive techniques—notably her layering of exquisite red, green, and blue translucent enamel over small pieces of foil—and will illustrate the range and complexity of De Court’s oeuvre, from luxurious vessels and plates to large ensembles and small objects, such as purses and plaques for watches or mirrors.

Three works from the Frick’s permanent collection will anchor the exhibition: a pair of saltcellars featuring scenes from the myth of Orpheus, acquired by Henry Clay Frick in 1916 from the estate of J. P. Morgan, and an oval medallion depicting Apollo and the Muses, a gift to the museum from Alexis Gregory in 2021. The remaining pieces are drawn from public and private collections in the United States and across Europe. The enamels will be complemented by a selection of prints by major sixteenth-century engravers from which De Court drew inspiration for narratives and compositions, creating a rare opportunity to study her works alongside contemporary sources.

Painting with Fire: Susanne de Court and the Art of Enamel is organized by Marie-Laure Buku Pongo, the Frick’s Associate Curator of Decorative Arts. The exhibition will be accompanied by a richly illustrated catalogue presenting new insights on Limoges enamels, De Court’s techniques, and the cultural, social, and religious contexts that shaped her work.