Orsini's Bosco Sacro....

Mask of Madness

The Park of the Monsters, or "Parco dei Mostri," in the Garden of Bomarzo was not meant to be pretty. Commissioned in 1552 by Prince Pier Francesco Orsini, it was an expression of grief designed to shock.

The Prince, also known as Vicino, had just been through a brutal war, had his friend killed, been held for ransom for years, and come home only to have his beloved wife die. Racked with grief, the Prince wanted to create a shocking "Villa of Wonders" and hired architect Pirro Ligorio to help him do so. (source)

Mouth of Hell

Salvador Dali visited the park and loved it He was so inspired, he shot a short film there, and the sculptures inspired his 1946 painting The Temptation of Saint Anthony. Jean Cocteau was also a fan of the park. Other artists followed, and a novel, libretto, and opera have all been based on the park.
When you visit the park and enter the "Mouth of Hell", there is a tongue upon which stands a picnic table and seating for a small group! (source)

Orsini was probably influenced by earlier works from temples, such as this one in Vietnam.

source

Or this Elephant Cave, a Hindu temple dating back to the 11th c. in Indonesia.

When I visited Carlo Marchiori's "Ca'toga", he has two monster gates that he constructed himself!

Here is a modern monster gate with clown features for a circus.

And when you see some modern interpretation and others think how clever they were, you will know the origins of their ideas!

It's all in the Lighting!

Lighting....it can make all the difference in our lives.

Shamir Shah NYSD

The objects we choose to display in our homes can be lost in the shadows or brought to the spotlight with the right lighting.

Larry Laslo

Notice how the shade disappears on this floor lamp. It draws the eye downward to the pop of color and the shell console table.

Even the style of lighting you choose can set a mood.

Matthew White NYSD

Uplighting can give a room height and drama.

Boaz Mazor NYSD

And downlighting can give a cozy mood.

Theresa Cheek

If you don't think lighting makes a difference.....

Theresa Cheek

Think again!

The Chinese House....

The Chinese House is a garden pavilion in Sanssouci Park in Potsdam.

Trying to give culture to Potsdam, Frederick the Great  built the pavilion along with other chinoserie and rococo structures in the 18thc as an adornment to his flower gardens.

An exuberant example of chinoiserie, this pavilion was built in the height of the chinoiserie movement and featured an abundance of gilded figures and ornamentation.

This was also the time following the excavation of Pompeii and a love of ornamentation was all the rage.

The interior features all elements chinoiserie-exotic birds, ornamental parasols, palm trees and swags of fabric to tie it all together.

The gilded figures are in various positions drinking tea .

Other figures are musicians flanking the gilded columns that mimic palm trees.
If chinoiserie is a love of yours, this is perhaps the best example in existence!

Here is a video of the exterior-

Alexander Hamilton

British born decorative artist Alexander Hamilton uses lime paints to create the illusion of Italian frescoes.

Alexander now lives between Florence and Siena with his family and paints and does restoration in private homes in the area.

His work is precise and based in traditional methods.

If you enjoy decorative painting, his website is a treasure!

These painted raw linen panels combine several techniques to achieve an authentic aged design.

(all photos are property of Alexander Hamilton)

Be sure to watch the video of the artist in action on his website!

23.5

Math and Art?  As I have stated before in previous posts, art and math are closely related. Math was often used in Renaissance paintings to achieve balance through the golden rule.

source

But, beyond that, the angle of 23.5 degrees can be found over and over in sculpture and painting.

source

"Vanitas" paintings , as they are known, were early 17th century still- life paintings containing symbols of death and vanity and made the viewer reflect on mortality and repentance.

source

These paintings are rich with 23.5 degree angles....(also known as one of the cosmic angles in Freemasonry)

source

The same angle can be found on  United States currency and the Great Pyramid of Giza.

source

Poussin used it in his self portrait.

Source

His ring is also a pyramid. The angle from the ring to the diadem to the far left forms a 23.5 degree angle.

source

So why did artists, Egyptian architects and the federal reserve all use 23.5 degree angles? .....The earth's tilt of it's axis is also 23.5 degrees.

source

Here, the "John gesture"  -Hermetic motto "As above, So Below" also forms the angle. The hand reaches to the sky as a reference to the heavens. The math was deliberate to give reference to a supreme being.

source

Math and art have been used for centuries to relay messages. The next time you are in a museum, consider the angles you see . What once appeared random, you now know has a deeper meaning!

Nope...

No blog post at this time...technical difficulties...!

Castell Coch

Source

Remember Aesop's fables? You might have heard them as a child-the Ant and the Grasshopper, the Fox and the Crow,the Fox and the Grapes, etc. Castell Coch in Wales has a beautiful interpretation of these fables on the castle's drawing room walls. (And you can stil hear the tales read in this room as a yearly tradition)


Castell Coch(English;Red Castle) is a 19th century Gothic Revival castle built on the remains of a genuine 13th-century fortification. It is situated on a steep hillside high above the village of Tongwynlais, to the north of Cardiff in Wales, and is a Grade I listed building as of 28 January 1963.-wikipedia

Source

In 1871, John Crichton-Stuart,3rd Marquess of Bute, ordered the site to be cleared of vegetation and debris while his architect,William Burges, drew up plans for a full reconstruction. Burges and the Marquess had been working for over three years on the rebuilding of Cardiff Castle; the aim at Castel Coch was to achieve another "dazzling architectual tour de force of the High Victorian era, (a) dream-like castle which combine(d) sumptuous Gothic fantasy with timeless fairy tale.-Wikipedia

link

Click on the link above for a 360 panoramic view of the drawing room.

Source

This is a detail of the singerie ceiling in Lady Bute's bedroom.
The room is "pure Burges: an arcaded circle, punched through by window embrasurs, and topped by a trefoil-sectioned dome." The decorative theme is 'love', symbolised by "monkeys, pomegranates, and nesting birds".-wikipedia

click on the link to view Lady Bute's bedroom in a panoramic view.

link

Source

This is a detail of the mantle in Lord Bute's bedroom.

Source

His Victorian  room is heavily influenced with Burge's love of geometric stenciling and gilded ornamentation.

Source

The fact that Burges was, as described by Simon Jenkins, "an opium-addicted bachelor Gothicist who dressed in medieval costume" may have influenced his building style.(source)

Burges travels to Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany and eventually Turkey led to his lavish wall designs and moorish influences.

Source

The roof garden offers wonderful tiled murals with a simple animal border underneath.

Source

Castell Coch was the realization of Burge's High Victorian Dream. Burge was able to combine the influences from his travels and fantasy of Victorian lore to create this wonderful world of ornamentation.