Katrin Sigurdardottir at the Met

Exhibited last year at the Met were 2 extraordinary exhibits by the Icelander Katrin Sigurdardottir that I've meant to share for awhile now but was waiting for the perfect opportunity. Katrin created 2 white boiserie 'rooms' based on originals in the Met's period room collection, playing with scale and the absense of color to highlight the forms of 18th century France. The first was an architectural screen with 82 white painted boiserie panels that, in Alice in Wonderland style , quickly descended from full scale at 8' to a miniature 12".

The second was an enclosed room which could be peered into through 1 way mirrors, a replica of a salon at the Hotel de Crillon. The mirrored panels then cleverly and infinitely reflected the room as if one were inside.

The absense of pattern, gilt and texture create a whole new experience: would even Marie Antoinette even recognize such a room?

Read a thorough critique online at the New York Times for more information..

Baroque wood stove

Located in the collection of the Met's period rooms is a fantastic white glazed and gilded baroque wood stove. While this may not be a traditional 'hearth and home' piece, these wood stoves were considered much safer than fireplaces and were widely used in northern Europe and most sat on stone hearths. I could see something like this used as contrast in a very modern loft or house- useful AND art!

Victorian Chimney

Continuing my series on hearth and home, today I'm sharing a Victorian chimney from the National Building Museum here in DC. Arches, corbels and dentils, oh my! How much detail can one fit on one small chimney? It stands as a striking example of what can be done with masonry.

Gilt andirons

From the period rooms at the Met, these gilt andirons are the perfect addition to any holiday hearth!

You could always tell your kids that the stags are Santa's flying reindeer!

Rodin Museum

I spent this past long holiday weekend in lovely Philadelphia and while there visited the Rodin Museum.Designed in 1929 by one of my favorite architects, Paul Cret (Here and Here), the museum and garden were built to house the largest collection of Rodin's work outside of Paris, collected by Jules Mastbaum.

Located right on Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the heart of Philly's City Beautiful movement area, this beaux arts neo-classical styled building graces a lovely green plot and garners quite a lot of attention with Rodin's famous "The Thinker" standing guard!

A replica of the ruined facade of the old Chateau D'Issy graces the front of the garden, providing a gateway into the museum. Rodin had installed the chateau's facade in his own garden in Meudon, France.Inside the courtyard, gravel paving, fragrant lavendar and shade trees seperate you from the busy parkway outside. Shallow steps gracefully bring you up to the recessed entry through Doric columns.

While no longer the main entrance to the museum, Rodin's "Gates of Hell" -originally designed for the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris - still stand outside despite being his most important work of art. Rodin worked on this doorway, which incorporates more than 100 separate figures, from 1880 until his death in 1917.

The movement in this piece was really incredible and lifelike.

One of his most famous sculptures was actually a study for this gateway, The Thinker (1880-1882).

Cret included a number of his own sculpted designs such as these bronze lion heads on the entry doors flanking Rodin's gates.

This was a period in Cret's career where he was transitioning from the Neoclassical design favored by the Beaux Arts into a more streamlined, Art deco style seen in these light fixtures below.

No one did it like Cret in my opinion! Following a discussion with a friend, no great building has a forgotten 'back side'. For example, above is the 'back' of the Rodin museum; better than most front facades, wouldn't you say?The Rodin museum is currently at the end of an intensive restoration but will be open to the public in the spring of 2012. Until then, the gardens are still open for viewing.

Portraits

Why not record your house for posterity in a memorable way like Baron Kuner did in 1760 of Memmingen, his country estate in Kunersberg -paint it on a platter. Of course, he owned his own faience pottery factory which helped! Have you done anything to record your estate?
Plateau now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Improvisation

The artist Childe Hassam, the American impressionist, painted this piece in 1899, just as his career was blossoming. Now owned by the Smithsonian American Museum of Art, the painting is one of my favorites in the collection.

Even the frame is masterful and adds to the overall beauty of the painting. Speaking of improvisations, I came across this talented pianist on youtube who has a series of these hilarious improvs he did while on chat roulette. I highly recommend watching the clip both for his skills and for a laugh! Enjoy!

Sunny weekend

I hope everyone is enjoying this hot sunny weather. This amazing French ormolu decoration at the Getty seems the very height of summer sun to me!

Time is ticking....

This baroque chinoiserie clock from the Getty reminds me that summer is ticking away. I've had so many things going on I've barely had time to write about any of them but look forward to some interesting posts in the near future!

The Getty Museum

I realized that while I have been showcasing some of the decorative arts and period rooms of the Getty Center, I haven't been showing anything of the actual building's themselves.The morning we visited was characteristically foggy (June mornings in LA!) but the location and buildings could not be more beautiful.

Designed by Richard Meier and completed in 1997, the complex sits high on a hill overlooking LA and the distant Pacific Ocean. In fact, one enters the campus via a tram which takes you up a steep hillside.The buildings terrace down the hill, following the slope and allowing for magnificent views throughout the property.A shallow water feature is the center point of the main courtyard.Designed in Meier's trademark post-modern style of white metal panels with travertine floors and accent walls, the architecture is the perfect foil to the musem's collection of European decorative arts, in my opinion.The gardens, by Laurie Olin, also complement the modernist structure and soften its' hard edges.

If not for the collections, your next time in LA, be sure to visit the Getty Museum for the architecture at least!

Miraculous Artistry

This carved wood relief at the Getty really took my breath away. Full sized and carved from a block of limewood by Aubert-Henri-Joseph Parent in Paris, 1789, the thickness of each petal and leaf is the real-life equivalent. You can practically smell the lilac!

The lower half is unfortunately as realistic, ahhhh snakes! This allegory, as so much else at the Getty from the time period, portrays the birds (aristocracy) protecting their feathered nests from the snakes (revolutionaries). I suppose we know who won and now we enjoy the fruits of the snakes' labor as so many of the aristocrat's belongings are now in the hands of museums such as the Getty; very...mixed...feelings.

Neoclassical detail

Since we're on the subject, I wanted to share some more of the Neoclassic collections at the Getty. This lovely cabinet was almost architectural in its' detailing.

This Bed from 1775, a Lit a la Polonaise, would make any little girl's heart scream with desire (and it may do the same to mine, but I won't admit to it publicly).

This gilded settee reminds me of one from the aging courtesan's apartment in my favorite movie, Gigi; just made for a canoodle.

Of course, the Neoclassical style was sometimes severe and imposing but always beautiful -such as in this tableux above. I love the touch of whimsy in the chandelier though; it once had a gold fish swimming around the lower bowl. Neoclassisicm isn't all seriousness, it's all in the details!

Neoclassical Paneling

Rounding out the collection of rooms at the Getty is the Neoclassical style (possibly my favorite). Together, these styles make up the collection of decorative arts at the museum.

The highlight of the Neoclassical collections is a paneled room designed by the famous Parisian architect Claude-Nicholas Ledoux. Designed for the house of a wealthy plantation owner from Santo Domingo as a Parisian base, the paneling entered American hands after demolition of the Ledoux designed complex in the late 19th century.

You can clearly see the emphasis on ancient Greek and Roman design of the Neoclassical movement, born out of the rediscovery of ancient Pompeii and Herculaneum. This was a direct and contrary response to the fluidity of the previously popular Rococo style (again, you see this following the political climate of a populace fighting against their ancient aristocracy during the age of enlightenment).

The details in this room are simply amazing and I love all of the mirrored surfaces. Hopefully now you can see why I love the Getty so much, and not just for the gorgeous Richard Meier designed campus!

Baroque Interiors

Before the Rococo, there was the excessive and sometimes heavy baroque style, popular in the late 17th century and in France, associated with Louis XIV (whose bust appears in the overmantel above). The room seen here is another period room found at the Getty Museum.

Meant to impress, the style is excessively styled with every surface taken into consideration for ornament. Unlike the rococo which was meant to be fun by focussing on light and elegance, the baroque was meant to impress (much like Louis's political regime).

The inlaid ebony writing table above was actually in the inventory of Versailles in the king's mistresses' small palace, the Trianon de Porcelaine (Madame de Montespan). I'm in love with that Japaned box and gilded stand in the window!

Notice the parquet de Versailles flooring in the room, also alluding to the regime. This begs the question, if it isn't baroque, should one fix it? (sorry, I couldn't resist!)