Bernard Perrot 1640?- 1709

Born in Altare 29 of February 1640, at the age of 19 moves to Liège (Belgium) to work at the Bonhomme glassworks. Next we find him in Nevers, France, at the glassworks of his uncle Giovanni Castellano, himself from Altare. In 1668 the Duke of Orleans realized his great potential and allowed him a grant to build a glass factory in Orleans, where Perrot made his first experiments on red glass colouring by gold inclusions. Next, he develops a method to make large glass sheets. The King allows him a patent in the first place. The foundation of Saint Gobain (Manufacture Royale des Glaces) by Colbert marks the last phase a Perrot's career, whereby he is stripped of his patents and privileges in favour of Luc de Nehou, Colbert's protégé. In his last years, spent in the vain attempt to defend his inventions in court, Perrot develops methods to make opaline and coloured glasses. He dies in 1709 in France. He is considered one of the great world's inventors and certainly the greatest glassmaker of his kind.

The Ligurian origins of Perrot are beyond doubt. His birth date has been controversial, Luigi Zecchin placing it in 1619 while more recent works would push it bach to 1640. His birth documents are found in Altare's church archives. His body rests in Orleans, under the floor of the church dedicated to Our Lady of Remembrance (Notre Dame de Recouvrance). In recent yers, research work by A. Roascio (personal communication) found out the exact birthplace in Altare. 

An example of red colored glass is given here. This piece, as many others, were the object of a dedicated exhibit that took place in Nevers, in 2019. 

There are two copies of this famous Bacchus, one at the Musée de la Céramique of Rouen and another one at the Corning Museum of Glass.

Other beautiful pieces were probably made in the first period of Perrot' production in Orléans.

One of Perrot's masterpieces is this table, especially crafted for the King and part of the generaly inventory of the crown's possession of 1681 (at number 276), of which we can see three legs. The surface of the table is made of 111 glass panels, held together with brass tapes. 

 
Perotto's last invention, arguably the most important one, was a method to make large flat glass surfaces, of which this image gives an illustration.

Less perfect than modern float glass, Perrot's glass opened the way to the manufacture of large mirrors and other objects, not least window glasses that would become widespread. 

One of Perrot's masterpieces are 7 glass portraits such as the one above. Some of them are visible in museums such as the Corning Museum.