Daniel Marot Lecture 2026

Pietà

More than a meter in height, Valadier’s Pietà, 1786, dazzles from afar as a work in precious metal, and intrigues close-up because of the utmost virtuosity of its artisan makers and the superb condition of its surfaces. This masterpiece demonstrates the artistic leadership of the Roman workshop in Europe at the time. Using the relief and its complex history as a starting point, Heike Zech will explore the workshop’s extraordinary stylistic range and technical ingenuity.

Collection

She will also highlight the Rijksmuseum’s internationally renowned collection of Valadier drawings. Referencing further silver and gold objects from the Rijksmuseum’s collection, the lecture will also touch upon the challenges faced by artisans working in precious metals through the centuries. At the heart of the lecture is the question: how can works of decorative arts be both art and treasure?

About the speaker

Dr. Heike Zech FSA is an art historian and curator specialising in precious metals, furniture, and objets de vertu. Since 2018, she has served as Keeper of Decorative Arts and the History of Crafts at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg and has also been the museum’s Deputy Director. Previously, she worked for Sotheby’s in Munich (2003–2008) and as Curator and Senior Curator of the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (2008–2017).

Thanks

The annual Daniel Marot Lecture is made possible by the Daniël Marot Fonds/Rijksmuseum Fonds.