Porphyry : the fascinating stone — Patine Gallery Paris

There are very few stone and materials with a stranger fate than porphyry. Its mysterious origine, from abandoned antique quarries in Egypt, and its invincible strongness, that only a skillfull and well equipped sculptor can master, make it a legendary and highly coveted stone. The purple colour of porphyry symbolises imperiality and therefore possessing this stone is a way to display supremacy, welath, excellence, power, fine taste and technical mastery. This material is deeply associated with imperial families, meaning that any object made from this precious stone immediately evokes power and luxury. All these reasons explain why porphyry objects are among the most sought after and pricy art objects.

During the antiquity the word '“Porphyry” used to refer exclusively to a purple and white speckels volcanic stone extracted from the Egyptian oriental desert. However, today this word has a broader meaning and refer to all kinds of fine paste magmatic rocks containing crystals visible with the naked eye.

(Detail) Porphyry bust of Emperor Caligula Rome, early 17th century, on a Roman pedestal Head size: 35 cm. Estimate 120 000 - 150 000€ (Leclere auction, 2016) © Leclere — (Detail) Porphyry bust of Emperor Caligula
Rome, early 17th century, on a Roman pedestal
Head size: 35 cm.
Estimate 120 000 - 150 000€
© De Baeque

Porphyry quarries were discovered and exploited in Egypt from 1st to 5th century, mainly in the Gebel Dokham massif in the oriental Egyptian desert, but then fall into oblivion until the 19th century. The extraction of this stone is technical, requires caution and precision since it consists of detaching blocks of porphyry from the mountain by inserting wedges in it.

Porphyry quarries also have been discovered in Europe, mainly in Sweden and Russia, but none of them has been exploited until the second half of the 18th century. In Europe, porphyry was first discovered in Sweden at Älvadalen in 1731 but was not commercially exploited until 1788. Porphyry objects were very appreciated by the swedish imperial families and especially Karl IV Johann king who reigned in Sweden from 1818 to 1844. In Russia it is also a very popular material where rich quarries were discovered in Oural. Today we still can find numerous porphyry objects, sometimes very spectacular, in Russian Palaces such as the Pavlovsk and Peterhof palaces.

A late Gustavian swedish porphyry vase by Court bronze gilder F.L. Rung (1758-1837) Circa 1800, height 70cm Sold 70 000€ (Bukowskis auction, 2017) © Bukowskis — A late Gustavian swedish porphyry vase by Court bronze gilder F.L. Rung (1758-1837)
Circa 1800, height 70cm
Sold 70 000€ (Bukowskis auction, 2017)
© Bukowskis

In Roman times this stone was called the “purple stone” while the greek word porphyry, which we today use, refers only to the purple colour even if green and black porphyry exist. From the1st to 3rd century the objects created out of porphyry were mainly bathtubs, large basins or pedestal. It was then used to create large sarcophagi and statues, especially to represent the colored draperies such as the Orante Borghese sculpted in the 2nd century AD which is now exhibited in Le Louvre.

The use of porphyry before the Roman times is still quite unsure even if we suppose that the quarries had already been discovered. Only a few statues in the Egyptian styles are known but it is still hard for the specialists to date them and establish clear provenances. The rarity of antique porphyry objects and the difficulty to establish their exact datations should encourage extreme prudence for the people who are interested in acquiring them.

Empress diademed in adoration known as Orante Borghese Ancient Rome, 2nd century AD White marble and porphyr Borghese Collection, Musée du Louvre © RMN-Grand Palais / Hervé Lewandowski — Empress diademed in adoration known as Orante Borghese
Ancient Rome, 2nd century AD
White marble and porphyr
Borghese Collection, Musée du Louvre
© RMN-Grand Palais / Hervé Lewandowski

The biggest monument ever created out of this stone is the Constantine Column built in 328 AD in Constantinople. The column's top is 34.8 m above the ground level and its estimate original height is 50 m tall. Initially the column supported a bronze statue of the emperor, probably refering the Colossus of Rhodes and to the Colossus of Nero in Rome, holding a spear and wearing a radiate crown. The statue and column capital fell down and were then replaced with a cross, since removed, and an inscribed white marble masonry capital still visible today. Since then, nothing more grandiose and impressing was created out of porphyry.

Evolution of the Column of Constantine called the “porphyre” Column Built c. 328 AD — Evolution of the Column of Constantine called the “porphyry” Column
Built c. 328 AD

Using porphyry in interior decorations was a way to evoke the splendor of ancient architecture. The French royal collections are thus very rich in porphyry objects thanks to the massive orders of Louis XIV for the Chateau de Versailles where porphyre objects were, and are still, displayed in various rooms and notably the Hall of Mirrors. Large and exceptional vases were particularly praised by the French court and Louis XIV made various orders in Rome for vases of different shapes, sometimes exceptional such as the snake vase or the vases with dogs or dolphins. The Cardinal Mazarin’s Roman agent, Abbot Benedetti , was specilised in the design of these vases and when the Cardinal died naturally became the agent of the King of France.

Drawing of seven porphyr vases by Abbot Benedetti, 1680 Pen and brown ink and wash © Bibliothèque nationale de France — Drawing of seven porphyry vases by Abbot Benedetti, 1680
Pen and brown ink and wash
© Bibliothèque nationale de France

Several porphyry vases were ordered to decorate the Palace of Versailles, but were seized during the Revolution and transported to the Central Museum (Louvre) and thus preserved. Among the many porphyre pieces, we could mention the “snake vase”, called so because of its exceptional shapes and handles forming snakes, sculpted in Rome in the 17th century.

Among the remarkable objects made of porphyry are busts. Among them, the minerva of the Louvre made in Rome in the 17th century which is of a remarkable precision.The twelve busts of Caesars are also magnificent objects. Indeed, since the Renaissance, the portraits of the twelve Caesars were often represented in the form of sculpted busts or medallions. These busts were often carved in coloured marble and sometimes in porphyry in order to reinforce imperiality. A series in porphyry is preserved in the Borghese City.

Francois Girardon (1628 - 1715) Alexandre le Grand, roi de Macédoine (356-323 av jc), circa1699 Antique porphyre head from the cardinal de Richelieu collection,marbre levanto, gilted bronze Châteaux de Versailles © Château de Versailles, Dist. RMN-G… — Francois Girardon (1628 - 1715)
Alexandre le Grand, roi de Macédoine (356-323 av jc), circa1699
Antique porphyry head from the cardinal de Richelieu collection,marbre levanto, gilted bronze
Châteaux de Versailles
© Château de Versailles, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Christophe Fouin

Its origin is still rather unknown, it is first mentioned in 1683. The draperies of these busts are made of alabaster while the heads are made of porphyry. Louis XIV also possessed two complete series of the twelve porphyry caesars, one of which came from the estate of Cardinal Mazarin. There are also independent busts such as those of Vespasian and Titus in the Pontchartrain collection or the bust of Vitellius in the Goulbenkian Museum in Lisbon, for example.

In the 18th and 19th century porphyry objects have been ordered from the best craftsmen at that time such as Pierre Gouthière or Pierre Phillipe Tomire in France and Luigi Valdier in Italy who notably worked for the Pope and the Borghese family.

Attributed to Pierre-Philippe Thomire Bronze, antique porphyre and granit lidded vase 53cm x 19cm, circa 1785 Musée du Louvre © RMN-Grand Palais (musée du Louvre) / Martine Beck-Coppola — Attributed to Pierre-Philippe Thomire
Bronze, antique porphyre and granit lidded vase
53cm x 19cm, circa 1785
Musée du Louvre
© RMN-Grand Palais (musée du Louvre) / Martine Beck-Coppola

Porphyry is also an element represented in the painting to underline the opulence and lust of a decoration like the Buffet by François Desportes which is an oil on canvas representing the disappeared goldsmith's pieces of the 18th century among which we also can spot a porphyry vase on top. Porphyry objects come back several times in Desportes' decorative compositions. The painter carefully observed and made precise studies of these objects which explain why we may find them in several of his decorative compositions. We may also mention the painter Jean-Baptiste Belin de Fontenay who under Louis the XIV painted for the the castle of Versailles, Marly, Meudon, Compiègne, Fontainebleau and decorated the palaces of wealthy families. Just as Desportes, he used porphyry elements in his compositions to highlight and reinforce the lust and opulence of its decors.