Sunday, August 31, 2014

Wedding in Venice

Wedding in Palazzo Cavalli, Grand Canal, Venice

Wedding in Palazzo Cavalli (or Palazzo Corner Martinengo)
Seen from the Canal Grande (Grand Canal)
Venice, September 2013

“Palazzo Cavalli Civil ceremonies are held in Palazzo Cavalli, a charming Renaissance building overlooking the Grand Canal, with a splendid view of Rialto Bridge. Inside, three elegantly furnished rooms are set aside to the bride and groom. The largest room, which can seat about 25 guests, has large French windows taking up the whole wall, opening on a terrace over the Grand Canal. The wedding starts with a short bureaucratic part, then the ceremony takes place, lasting from fifteen to thirty minutes.” (Palazzo Cavalli, The Venice Wedding Planner)

Saturday, August 30, 2014

San Matteo


“San Matteo” (Matthew the Apostle) by Lorenzo Ghiberti, 1420 (copy)
Orsanmichele, Via dell'Arte della Lana side
Florence, April 2014

“The exterior of the church is infinitely interesting - decorated with niches containing statues of saints commissioned by the various guilds of Florence (along with other carvings and architectural decorations). Fourteen guilds, including the silk workers, bankers, and the blacksmiths are represented. Although the program began during the late middle ages, the sculptures were not begun in earnest until the early fourteenth century. As a result, the entire range of Renaissance sculpture is represented, from the Early - Ghiberti's St. John the Baptist of 1414 (the first life-sized bronze cast in the Renaissance) - to the Late Renaissance - Giambologna's Saint Luke of 1601. All of the original works have been removed for restoration and replaced by copies.” (Sculptures of Orsanmichele, Orsanmichele)

See also: Christ and St. Thomas - San Luca - Madonna delle Grazie Altar - Santo Stefano

Friday, August 29, 2014

Golden Boy of Pye Corner

Golden Boy of Pye Corner, corner of Giltspur Street and Cock Lane, City of London, London

Golden Boy of Pye Corner
Giltspur Street and Cock Lane, City of London
London, October 2009

“Some time in the early 18th century a wooden effigy of a chubby little boy was carved to ornament Giltspur Street’s Fortune of War tavern, with the following words inscribed on his breast above his folded arms: ‘This boy is in memory put up for the late Fire of London, occasioned by the sin of gluttony, 1666’ – though by today’s standards he doesn’t look prodi­giously fat. When the tavern was later rebuilt the boy was installed above the door of the new premises. He wasn’t gilded until around the end of the 19th century, by which time the inscription had become illegible. Before it was golden the statue was simply known as ‘the Naked Boy’, ‘the Fat Boy’ or ‘the Glutton’.” (Golden Boy of Pye Corner, Hidden London)

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Firefighters at Saint-Lazare

Firefighters on stand-by outside the Saint-Lazare metro station, Cour de Rome, Paris

Firefighters on stand-by outside the Saint-Lazare metro station
Cour de Rome
Quartier de l'Europe, 8th arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Palazzo Strozzi

Palazzo Strozzi, piazza Strozzi, Florence

Palazzo Strozzi
Piazza Strozzi
Florence, April 2014

“Situated between Piazza Strozzi and via Tornabuoni in the heart of Florence, the Palazzo Strozzi is one of the finest examples of Renaissance domestic architecture. It was commissioned by the Florentine merchant Filippo Strozzi and the foundations were laid in 1489 according to a design by Benedetto da Maiano. A year later the project was given to Simone del Pollaiolo, known as Cronaca, who worked on it until 1504 but the Palazzo was only finally finished in 1538. The Palazzo remained the property of the Strozzi family until 1937, and since 1999 it has been managed City of Florence. Since the Second World War the Palazzo has been Florence’s largest temporary exhibition space.” (Palazzo Strozzi, History, Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi)

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Carlo Goldoni

Monument to Carlo Goldoni by Antonio Dal Zotto, Campo San Bartolomeo, Venice,

Monument to Carlo Goldoni by Antonio Dal Zotto, 1883
Campo San Bartolomeo, San Marco
Venice, September 2013

Monday, August 25, 2014

First Human Youth

First human Youth made from clay by Prometheus, by Paul Manship, Rockefeller Center, New York

“First human Youth made from clay by Prometheus” by Paul Manship
Rockefeller Plaza, Rockefeller Center
New York, September 2007

See also: Prometheus - First Human Maiden

Sunday, August 24, 2014

The Sons of Cain

Le fils de Cain, The Sons of Cain by Paul Landowski, Galerie du Bord de l’eau, Tuileries Garden, Paris

“Le fils de Cain” (The Sons of Cain) by Paul Landowski, 1903
Galerie du Bord de l’eau
Jardin des Tuileries (Tuileries Garden)
Quartier Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, 1st arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

“This bronze group depicts the shepherd Jabal, the poet Jubal and the blacksmith Tubal Cain. An inscription describes them. ‘Is this not all mankind? The man of the fields, the poet, the city worker.’ (Journal 1903). Landowski was inspired by three young Tunisians he met on a trip walking ‘in brotherly unison (…) walking as one single block, without the least mawkishness.’ The work was originally installed in the Cour Napoleon and moved in 1984 to the Terrasse along the water.” (The Sons of Cain, Paul Landowski)

See also: King Edward VII - Henri Farman

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Moses

Moses, copy of the original bronze panel of the Gates of Paradise by Lorenzo Ghiberti, Baptistry of Saint John, Florence

“Moses”, copy of the original bronze panel of the
Porte del Paradiso (Gates of Paradise) by Lorenzo Ghiberti
Battistero di San Giovanni (Florence Baptistery)
Piazza del Duomo
Florence, October 2013

See also: Adam and Eve - Cain and Abel - Noah - Abraham - Isaac with Esau and Jacob - Joseph

Friday, August 22, 2014

Igor Stravinsky

Graves of Igor Stravinsky and Vera Stravinsky, Игорь Фёдорович Стравинский, Isola di San Michele, Venice

The graves of Igor and Vera Stravinsky
Isola di San Michele, Cannaregio
Venice, September 2013

“Venice is no ordinary city, and neither is its cemetery. Until the early 19th century, Venetians usually buried their dead under paving stones within the central city -- not a salutary practice, particularly in times of pestilence. So the Austrian occupation decreed in 1837 that San Michele would be the only possible burial ground for most Venetians. (A Jewish cemetery dating from the 14th century is on the Lido.) Since San Michele is a very small island, however, it is usually only a temporary resting place. After about 12 years, most remains are exhumed and either cremated or deposited in an ossuary on the mainland. A few privileged families can lease space longer.” (Venice's Isle of the Dead, The New York Times)

Thursday, August 21, 2014

JOH3

New Apartmenthouse by J. Mayer H. Architects, Johannisstraße, Berlin

JOH3, residential building by J. Mayer H. Architects
Johannisstraße 3
Berlin, September 2011

“Property development group Euroboden is realizing a unique residential building at Johannisstraße in Mitte, Berlin’s downtown district. J. MAYER H. architects’ design for the building, which will soon neighbour both Museum Island and Friedrichstrasse, reinterprets the classic Berliner residential building with its multi-unit structure and green interior courtyard. The sculptural design of the suspended slat facade draws on the notion of landscape in the city, a quality visible in the graduated courtyard garden and the building’s silhouette and layout.” (JOH3, J. Mayer H. Architects)

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Mongolian

Mongolian (standing position) by Shen HongBiao, rue Soufflot, Paris

Mongolian (standing position) by Shen HongBiao, 2009
Rue Soufflot
Quartier de la Sorbonne, 5th arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

“The statue is a gift to the Sorbonne, and once which expresses my feelings of gratitude towards the institution. The work represents a Mongolian wrestler, who stands at the edge of the Mongolian Steppe. I try to represent an interior force in my sculptures. The materials which I employ in my works are often very hard – like steel, iron, bronze and stone. The interior force of the sculpture is soft, like water. It extends up to the exterior, whilst the force of the exterior pushes inward: the two forces press against one another. This large piece is a response to the Mongolian Steppe. My art acts as a witness to my life.” (Hong-Biao Shen’s naked giant, Art Media Agency)

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Cenacolo di Santo Spirito

Cenacolo di Santo Spirito, Refectory of Santo Spirito, piazza Santo Spirito, Florence

Cenacolo di Santo Spirito (Refectory of Santo Spirito)
Piazza Santo Spirito
Florence, April 2014

Monday, August 18, 2014

Jolly Roger

Jolly Roger galleon, Giudecca Canal, Venice

“Jolly Roger” galleon
Giudecca Canal
Venice, September 2013

Sunday, August 17, 2014

The Gardener

The Gardener by Karin Jonzen, Brewers' Hall Garden, City of London, London

“The Gardener” by Karin Jonzen, 1971
Brewers' Hall Garden, City of London
London, October 2009

“The site of the garden of the Brewers' Hall consists of a series of raised beds and seating in an area of pavement. The Brewers' Company is one of the oldest livery companies in the City of London and one of the first Guilds to have its own Hall, which stood on the same site as the present one. By 1422 Brewers' Hall was regularly let out for use to other City Livery Companies, Guilds and other groups including the ‘footballpleyers’, one of the earliest known references to football. When the Hall was rebuilt in 1960, the site of the garden was taken over by the Corporation of London, since when it has been re-landscaped a number of times. The statue of ‘The Gardener’ by Karin Jonzen, 1971 was relocated here from Moorgate c.2005.” (Brewers' Hall Garden, London Gardens Online)

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Our Lady of Labor

Church of Notre-Dame-du-Travail, Our Lady of Labor church, rue Guilleminot, Paris

Church of Notre-Dame-du-Travail (Our Lady of Labor)
Rue Vercingétorix
Quartier de Plaisance, 14th arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

Friday, August 15, 2014

Cappella Brancacci

Frescos by Masaccio and Masolino da Panicale, Brancacci Chapel, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence

Frescos by Masaccio and Masolino da Panicale, 1424-28
Cappella Brancacci (Brancacci Chapel)
Santa Maria del Carmine
Piazza del Carmine
Florence, April 2014

“The work was left unfinished by Masolino, who took off for Hungary, and by Masaccio, who decamped to Rome (where he died in 1428). Between 1435 and 1458, when the patron Felice Brancacci fell into political disgrace, the friars changed the dedication of the Brancacci Chapel to that of ‘La Madonna del Popolo’, moving the celebrated 13th-century Madonna and Child from the high altar into the chapel. It was perhaps on this occasion that part of Masaccio’s fresco with portraits of the Brancacci patrons was destroyed, a kind of damnatio memoriae. The chapel’s decoration was completed by Filippino Lippi, who between 1481 and 1485 worked on the lower register of the left wall, finishing the Raising of the son of Theophilus and St. Peter enthroned which Masaccio had begun, and painting on his own St. Peter in prison visited by St. Paul on the adjacent pilaster. On the opposite wall he frescoed the Disputation of St. Peter and St. Paul with Simon Magus, and the Crucifixion of St. Peter, and on the pilaster St. Peter visited in prison. Between 1746 and 1748 the chapel was extensively redecorated: Vincenzo Meucci frescoed the ceiling with the Virgin consigning the Scapular to St. Simon Stock, thus destroying Masolino’s Evangelists. At the same time the lunettes of the Shipwreck of the Apostles and the Calling of the Apostles were painted over. ” (Brancacci Chapel, The Museums of Florence)

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Ferramenta Arcobaleno

Pigments on display, Ferramenta Arcobaleno, Rainbow Hardware Store, Calle de le Boteghe, San Marco, Venice

Ferramenta Arcobaleno (Rainbow Hardware Store)
Calle de le Boteghe, San Marco
Venice, September 2013

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

The Gershwin Hotel

The Gershwin Hotel, East 27th Street, New York

The Gershwin Hotel
East 27th Street
New York, September 2008

“Named after composer George Gershwin, who sold his scores in the neighbourhood, the Gershwin Hotel was founded in 1993 by Quebecer Suzanne Tremblay. She developed a personal checklist from all the places she’d stayed during her extensive world travels. They should be affordable; should foster a sense of adventure and help you learn about yourself and where you’re going. ‘I need a product that speaks to me about New York... For me, my direct connection to New York was art.’” (New York’s Gershwin Hotel is music to your ears, The Star)

See also: Yetis

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Drapeaux

Drapeaux, Flags by Arman, Préfecture de police, rue de la Cité, Paris

“Drapeaux” (Flags) by Arman, 1994
Préfecture de police de Paris
Rue de la Cité
Quartier Notre-Dame, 4th arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

See also: Consigne à vie - L'Heure de tous - Everybody's Time - Checked Luggage for a Lifetime

Monday, August 11, 2014

St Mark's English Church

Apotheosis of Saint Mark by Jason Arkles, St Mark's English Church, Via Maggio, Oltrarno, Florence

“Apotheosis of Saint Mark” by Jason Arkles, 2008
Exterior of St Mark's English Church
Via Maggio, Oltrarno
Florence, April 2014

“The statue of St. Mark is an apotheosis; it is symbolic of the salient points of the life of the saint, rather than a depiction of the saint at a certain time or place .He is represented as a young man, bare-chested and with his cloak slipping off his shoulders. This refers to the verse in the Gospel of St. Mark which describes how a young man was present in the Garden of Gethsemane with Christ and how this lad was nearly hauled off by the Roman guards, but escaped by wriggling out of the cloak he was wearing and running off into the night. Traditionally, this verse has been interpreted as a description of Mark himself, present at the scene.” (Apotheosis of Saint Mark, Jason Arkles)

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Pescatore di Rialto

Il pescatore, The Fisherman by Cesare Laurenti, Palazzo della Pescheria, Rialto, Venice

“Il pescatore” (The Fisherman) by Cesare Laurenti, 1907
Palazzo della Pescheria, Rialto
Venice, September 2013

“The new century also saw a change in style, as the artist began treating Symbolist themes and further developed the study of Renaissance art commenced during his Florentine period, now under the influence of Art Nouveau. He took part in the Venice Biennale on a regular basis from 1895 to 1909, with a solo show of his work in 1907. A highly respected decorator and architect, he designed the new fish market at the Rialto, inaugurated in 1908, and produced some of the sculptural elements himself.” (Cesare Laurenti, Wikipedia)

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Hotel Mitte

Hotel Mitte Berlin am Alexanderplatz, Neue Schönhauser Straße, Berlin

Hotel Mitte Berlin am Alexanderplatz
Neue Schönhauser Straße
Berlin, September 2011

Friday, August 8, 2014

Parc Georges-Brassens

Clock tower of the old market, Parc Georges-Brassens, Paris

Clock tower of the old market
Parc Georges-Brassens
Rue des Morillons
Quartier Saint-Lambert, 15th arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

“Built on the site of the old Abattoirs de Vaugirard, Parc Georges Brassens prefigured the industrial regeneration of Parc André Citroën and La Villette. The gateways, crowned by bronze bulls, have been kept, as have a series of iron meat-market pavilions, which house a second-hand book market at weekends.
The Jardin des Senteurs is planted with aromatic species, and a small vineyard yields 200 bottles of Clos des Morillons every year. The park is named in honour of the legendary French singer, who lived nearby at 42 rue Santos-Dumont.” (Parc Georges Brassens, Time Out Paris)

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Il Giudizio Universale

The Last Judgment, by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari, Santa Maria del Fiore, Saint Mary of the Flower, Florence Cathedral

“Il Giudizio Universale” (The Last Judgment)
By Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari, 1568-79
Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (Saint Mary of the Flower)
Piazza del Duomo
Florence, April 2014

“Poets and art historians have been disparaging Vasari and Zuccari's handiwork ever since the last lick of paint dried back in 1579. The frescoes have been described as amateurish hackwork and a distraction from Brunelleschi's magnificent dome, the architectural wonder that they adorn. The 16th-century poet and playwright Antonfrancesco Grazzini satirised the frescoes in a humorous ditty. More recently, the eminent postwar Italian art historian Carlo Ludovico Ragghianti suggested obliterating them with a coat of white paint.” (Last judgement on Vasari fresco: it's not all it's cracked up to be, The Independent)

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Secret Denunciations

Lion's Mouth postbox for anonymous denunciations, Palazzo Ducale, Doge's Palace, Venice

“Lion's Mouth” postbox for anonymous denunciations
Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace)
Venice, September 2013

“Denontie secrete
contro chi occulterà
Gratie et officii
o colluderà per
nasconder la vera
rendita di essi”
(Secret denunciations
against anyone who will conceal
favors and services
or will collude to
hide the true
revenue from them)

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Broadgate Venus

Broadgate Venus by Fernando Botero, Exchange Square, Broadgate, City of London, London

“Broadgate Venus” by Fernando Botero, 1990
Exchange Square
Broadgate, City of London
London, October 2009

“Reclining serenely at the heart of Broadgate, this polished bronze nude overlooks Liverpool Street Station, giving a glimpse of romance in the hustle and bustle of the City. At five tonnes, Venus is one of Botero’s largest pieces and her generous curves are ever popular with passers-by, art students and amorous couples, many of whom pose for photos, perhaps hoping her son Cupid is there in spirit too.” (Broadgate Venus, Broadgate, City of London)

Monday, August 4, 2014

Michel Eugène Chevreul

Statue of Michel Eugène Chevreul by Léon Fagel, Jardin des Plantes, Paris

Statue of Michel Eugène Chevreul by Léon Fagel, 1889
Jardin des plantes
Quartier du Jardin-des-Plantes, 5th arrondissement
Paris, July 2012

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Joseph

Joseph, copy of the original bronze panel of the Gates of Paradise by Lorenzo Ghiberti, Baptistry of Saint John, Florence

“Joseph”, copy of the original bronze panel of the
Porte del Paradiso (Gates of Paradise) by Lorenzo Ghiberti
Battistero di San Giovanni (Florence Baptistery)
Piazza del Duomo
Florence, October 2013

See also: Adam and Eve - Cain and Abel - Noah - Abraham - Isaac with Esau and Jacob

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Francesco Morosini Naval Military School

Francesco Morosini Naval Military School, Venice

Francesco Morosini Naval Military School
Sant'Elena, Castello
Venice, September 2013

Friday, August 1, 2014

Mini Gourds

Basket of mini gourds, West 23th Street, New York

Basket of mini gourds
West 23th Street
New York, September 2008