Long before she became the first woman to win architecture’s coveted Pritzker Prize in 2004, Zaha Hadid began her explorations into spatial intervention with the redesign of her bedroom as a child in Baghdad. Throughout her career, Hadid’s works strove for a total harmony between landscape, exterior and interior space. Before her untimely death, Hadid produced numerous […]
Part of the new exhibition, 4 April 2025 – 12 April 2026. The Selene chair is the best-known product designed by Magistretti while working with the furniture and lighting manufacturer Artemide. This is one of several collaborations between designers and manufacturers experimenting with the technological and expressive potential of plastic in 1960s Italy which helped […]
In 1913 the French painter Félix Del Marle published his Futurist Manifesto of Montmartre, in which he criticized the bohemianism of his fellow Parisians. Although he was not Italian, he was welcomed by the Italian Futurists, a group of painters, poets, sculptors, and architects who did glorify technology, war, and other aspects of modern life […]
Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfahlen, Düsseldorf. Public domain ©
Those were the days. Screenshot via Wayback Machine of the Internet Archive Bye bye dear first blog It was a real shock on this historic 21st of november 2024. I did get no warning, tumblr just deleted my blog, after 10 years, 17,000 posts and 180,000 followers, such a big archive, all so well tagged, […]
At Sarah’s special request, I am reissuing this series of introduction cards. It was probably the most successful post during my time on Tumblr, around 60.000 at last, so it should not be missing here. Delightfully old-fashioned and absolutely analogue, enjoy. According to Alan Mays, who collects them, they were “used by the less formal […]
The history of tiles begins with bricks. Air-dried or fired, they were used as simple flooring in ancient Egypt as early as around 2000 BC. Between Mesopotamia, Persia and India, they were later used as wall decoration after being glazed. In the course of the Roman conquests, these then spread as floor tiles throughout the […]
Legend has it that the Tang emperor, Minghuang (r. 713-56 CE), had lychee fruit delivered by horseback from southern China to satisfy the cravings of his favorite concubine, Yang Yuhuan. Because of this story, and the fruit’s general popularity in China, lychee is a frequent motif in the decorative arts and carries associations with romance. […]
The so-called Cycladic “frying pans” often came to light in richly furnished graves. Only about 200 of thse objects have been found in the Aegean islands and peninsular Greece. They are among the most mysterious objects of this culture. On the “bottom” side is an intricate artistic carving made by the artist with great care. The […]
Qi Baishi (1863-1957) made this artwork in autumn, seventh month, yichou year. It is a anging scroll, drawn with ink and colour on paper. Via Christies ©
Oil on canvas, 81×59 cm. Via Wikiart, Public Domain. Caillebotte painted this beautiful rainy scene on his family’s property near Paris. If you listen closely, you’ll hear the rain drops falling on your head. The painting is housed at the Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, USA: The composition includes a […]
Gaspari’s designs were heavily influenced by his background as a painter. His works often resembled abstract paintings, with a focus on form, texture, and color harmony. He brought a contemporary artistic language to Murano glass. Blue glass, colourless overlay, violet and opal-coloured band melted on, colourless overlay, free-blown 41,4 x 15,8 x 9,7 cm. Made […]
Lalique used translucent and opaque enamels to create subtle shading, giving the landscape a natural quality.He employed advanced plique-à-jour enamel, a challenging method where enamel is applied without a metal backing, creating a stained-glass effect. This pendant is a quintessential example of Art Nouveau, reflecting Lalique’s focus on organic forms and naturalistic themes – like winter, a […]
In parts of Northern Europe, geometric straw ornaments were traditionally hung during Yuletide to ensure a bountiful harvest. Inspired by Finnish traditions, Paavo Tynell incorporated these motifs into his lighting designs. Paavo Tynell, “Snowflake” Chandelier, 1950s. Produced by Taito Oy, Finland. Brass, perforated brass, brass mesh. Introduced in 1946, the “Snowflake” light uses a perforated […]
Marble head from the figure of a woman: The traces of eyes, in extremely low relief, indicate that they originally were rendered with pigment. The painted marble weathered less rapidly than the adjoining unpainted surfaces. On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 150 Female Figure, Neolithic figures are predominately female, but their poses […]
Manuel Barbadillo (1929–2003) was a Spanish painter and graphic artist, renowned for his contributions to geometric abstraction and the use of computer-aided art. He was a pivotal figure in Spain’s post-war avant-garde art scene, blending traditional artistic methods with emerging technologies. Barbadillo saw his modular forms as a visual language for communicating universal ideas. Manuel […]
Lounge chair Scandia, Hove Mobler Norway, rosewood, 1960 The Norwegian designer and architect Hans Brattrud (1933–2017) studied at the Norwegian National Academy of Arts and Crafts and went on to work as a designer. In addition to his Scandia Chair, he designed other timeless pieces of furniture, such as the Grorudstolen chair, the Fagott table […]
The inspiration to this work of art: Paul Klee travels alone to Egypt in 1928, his place of longing. Since he didn’t speak English, I asked him how he had managed linguistically. His answer was: in Bernese German. And it was the truth, because many of the Cook hotels employed Swiss people as waiters … […]
Jan David Zocher the Younger (1791–1870), Design for a Garden, 1856. Pen and brown ink. Netherlands. Source: Cooper Hewitt (Public Domain). Also on Google Arts and Culture Landscape design for a canal garden in asymmetrical plan with free-form beds and serpentine walks. A combination of plan and elevation views indicate trees and flowering shrubs with accentuating colorful touches of […]
Ink and color on silk. Via mia. Public Domain ©
From the 13th century onwards, Venice developed into the world capital of glass art. The best raw materials were available in the port and trade metropolis, enabling the production of new types of glass. Luciano Gaspari, vase from the ‘Marine’ series, 1965–1980. Made by Salviati & C, Murano; yellow glass, colourlessly overlaid, melted blue bands, […]
Andrew Grima, Brooch, 1968. Made of gold, tourmaline and diamonds. Photo Tony Walsh. Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim / Cincinnati Art Museum. ©
Marguerite Gérard (1761–1837) was a painter and printmaker who is known for her sensitive portraits and genre scenes. Gérard was Fragonard’s sister-in-law, she moved to live with Fragonard and his wife, Marie-Anne, in Paris around 1775, when she was a teenager. She studied under Fragonard, who greatly influenced her artistic style, and collaborated with him […]
A special type of non-upholstered seating: The petals are made of double-faced fabric – felt or leather, combined with a wool fabric –and are lightly padded. When the petals are facing upwards, a cosy, shape is created; when they are facing downwards, an intentionally austere look is created. Made by Moroso. More to see: Patricia […]
Plate/Tablet with Herons, Edo Period, 18th to 19th century. Unknown artist. Source MK&G, Photo Jörg Arend. Public domain. ©
Gaspari was born 1913 in Verona, Italy, and initially trained as a painter. He studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice, where he developed his artistic style, which later influenced his glass design work. In the 1950s and 1960s, he became the artistic director at Venini and contributed significantly to its modernist designs. […]
Watercolor on paper, made during his stay at the Bauhaus. Source: Centre Pompidou / Google Arts and Culture ©
This bronze hand is a particularly unusual artifact. Hammered from sheet bronze, it tapers towards the wrist and features a cuff-like forearm section with two nail holes, suggesting it was affixed in pairs to wooden structures. Traces of fabric found on a similar pair of hands from a warrior’s grave in Vulci indicate that these […]
