A Zamac sculpture ‘A ship in a turbulent sea’, made in the 20th century in France. Please note that the overall condition is fair, but the thermometer is missing.

Zamak

Zamak is a metal alloy with zinc as it’s basis mixed with several other elements such as alluminium, copper and magnesium. Zamak was developed by the New Jersey Zinc company in 1929 and is an acronym of the German names for the metals in this alloy. Zink (Z), Aluminium (A), Magensium (MA) and Kupfer (K). Zamak can be wet painted, chromate conversion coated or electroplated.

‘School’

French school, Dutch school, Italian school and so much more. The word ‘school’ is used with various meanings and often to describe a certain type of painting style.

In its narrowest sense, the word ‘school’ can denote a group of painters who worked under de influence of another artist. A great example is the ‘school of Leonardo da Vinci’ were a large group of artists worked in the studio of, or under the influence of, Leonardo da Vinci. They are also known as ‘The Leonardeschi’.

In its widest sense, the word ‘school’ can denote a whole country of painters and describe a typical style which reflects the painters of that country. An example is ‘Italian school’ or ‘French school’. In another sense, the word ‘school’ can also denote a certain region of a country. The ‘Venetian school’ applies to painters who worked under local influence or with general similarities in color or technique. Famous examples of ‘Venetian school’ artists are Lazzaro Bastiani (1430-1512), Giovanni Bellini (1430 – 1516) and Giulio Campi (1500-1572).