Sunday, May 31, 2015

École maternelle Miollis

Trompe-l'œil, École maternelle Miollis, rue Miollis Paris

Trompe-l'œil by Solène Eloy
École maternelle Miollis
Rue Miollis
Quartier Necker, 15th arrondissement
Paris, July 2012

Saturday, May 30, 2015

La Bottega della Frutta

La Bottega della Frutta, The Fruit Shop, via dei Federighi, Florence

La Bottega della Frutta (The Fruit Shop)
Via dei Federighi
Florence, April 2015

Friday, May 29, 2015

Shack Stack

Shack Stack by Richard Wilson, Grosvenor Waterside, London

“Shack Stack” by Richard Wilson, 2010
Grosvenor Waterside, Gatliff Road
London, September 2015

“This permanent sculpture is an abstraction based on the improvised architecture of the sheds commonly found on British allotments. Such sheds are often put together with little regard to the original function of the individual components. The way in which these architectural details are reused for new purposes can be see as a metaphor for how the urban fabric such as the Grosvenor Dock – also goes through cycles of use, redundancy and renewal. Cast in Aluminium, however, the temporary nature of this form of architecture is inverted. Physically and visually the sculptures become an embodiment of weight – the impermanent rendered monumental.” (Shack Stack, Richard Wilson)

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Caffè Sant'Eustachio

Caffè Sant'Eustachio, Piazza di Sant'Eustachio, Rome

Caffè Sant'Eustachio
Piazza di Sant'Eustachio
Rome, May 2010

“Say Rome to me and my first thoughts are not of the swirling traffic around the marble wedding cake that is a monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, nor of the eaten-out stone melon that is the Colosseum, nor of the ‘Dolce Vita’ set as immortalized by Fellini. Rather, I think first of the creamy foam, or spuma, that tops lightly sugared espresso at the always jammed Sant'Eustachio around the corner from the Pantheon, the coffee bar that I still consider this city's best.” (The Bounty of Rome, The New York Times)

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Jim Morrison

Jim Morrison's grave, Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris

Grave of Jim Morrison (1943-1971)
“ΚΑΤΑ ΤΟΝ ΔΑΙΜΟΝΑ ΕΑΥΤΟΥ” (According to his own daemon)
Cimetière du Père-Lachaise, (Père Lachaise Cemetery)
Quartier du Père-Lachaise, 20th arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

“Morrison’s grave has continually morphed and changed over the years, with a granite headstone and brass plaque replacing the crude bust and base that stood for the first decade and a half after Morrison’s death. Much of the graffiti that was there in the 1980s has been removed and a guard is installed there now to handle the large volume of crowds that come to visit the site on a daily basis.” (Jim Morrison’s Paris Grave Site, Ultimate Classic Rock)

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Calle San Provolo

Building between Calle San Provolo and Rio di San Provolo, Castello, Venice

Building between Calle San Provolo
And Rio di San Provolo, Castello
Venice, September 2013

Monday, May 25, 2015

Metal Detector

At work with a metal detector near the Battersea Bridge, London

At work with a metal detector near the Battersea Bridge
Seen from Cheyne Walk, Chelsea
London, September 2014

“The Thames foreshore is potentially hazardous and some dangers may not always be immediately apparent. The Thames rises and falls by over 7.0m twice a day as the tide comes in and out. The current is fast and the water is cold. Anyone going on the foreshore does so entirely at their own risk and must take personal responsibility for their safety and that of anyone with them. In addition to the tide and current mentioned above there are other less obvious hazards, for example raw sewage, broken glass, hypodermic needles and wash from vessels. Steps and stairs down to the foreshore can be slippery and dangerous and are not always maintained.” (Metal Detecting and Digging on the Thames Foreshore, Port of London Authority)

Sunday, May 24, 2015

KaDeWe Sculptures

Sculpture on KaDeWe building, Kaufhaus des Westens, Berlin

Sculptures on KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des Westens) department store
Wittenbergplatz, Schöneberg
Berlin, September 2011

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Orly Control Tower

Control tower, Aéroport de Paris-Orly, Paris Orly Airport, Essonne, Val-de-Marne, France

Control tower
Aéroport de Paris-Orly (Paris Orly Airport)
Essonne / Val-de-Marne
Paris, July 2014

Friday, May 22, 2015

The Procession of the Magi

Eastern Wall, Magi Chapel, Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Florence

Eastern Wall, Magi Chapel by Benozzo Gozzoli, 1461
Palazzo Medici Riccardi
Via Cavour
Florence, April 2015

“The Chapel is famous for the series of wall paintings by Benozzo Gozzoli, with the Angels in Adoration in the rectangular apse and the ‘Journey of the Magi’ in the large hall. Painted during the years subsequent to 1459, but in any case by 1463, they represent the masterpiece oft his painter, dedicated to a sacred subject but rich in traces of pomp and secular elegance with all the care that Cosimo and Piero de' Medici - as exigent buyers and connoisseurs of art - expected of him. Hosts of angels sing and adore on a rural background civilly portioned, like the typical Florentine countryside. While the magnificent procession of the Three Kings approaches Bethlehem accompanied by their respective entourages they enjoy the scene of a noble hunting party with falcons and felines along the way. The sumptuous and varied costumes with their princely finishings make this pictorial series one of the most fascinating testimonies of art and costume of all time. Among the followers of the Magi there are numerous family portraits.” (Chapel of the Magi, The Museums of Florence)

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Robert Milligan

Statue of Robert Milligan by Richard Westmacott, West India Docks, Canary Wharf, London

Statue of Robert Milligan by Richard Westmacott, 1813
In front of the Museum of London Docklands
West India Docks, Canary Wharf
London, September 2014

“Robert Milligan (1745-1809) was one of the leading figures behind the building of the West India Docks. He is mentioned on the large stone inscription on the western end of this block as being Deputy Chairman of the West India Dock Company. Of those who opened the dock in 1802 he was rated fourth after the Lord Chancellor, the prime minister (William Pitt) and the Chairman of the West India Dock Company. At the base of the statue there is a bas relief showing Britannia and a cornucopia in the foreground with sailing ship behind. A woman and children who are perhaps meant to be West Indian are also shown.” (Canary Wharf and West India Docks, Exploring East London)

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Sala Sinopoli

Sala Sinopoli, Parco della Musica, Rome

Sala Sinopoli
Auditorium Parco della Musica
Viale Pietro de Coubertin
Rome, May 2012

“Parco della Musica was designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano. Jürgen Reinhold from Müller-BBM was in charge of acoustics in the three concert halls; Franco Zagari was landscape architect for the outdoor spaces. The three large concert halls are Sala Petrassi, in memory of Goffredo Petrassi, about 700 seats; Sala Sinopoli, in memory of Giuseppe Sinopoli, about 1200 seats; and Sala Santa Cecilia, about 2800 seats. They are structurally separated to ensure soundproofing, though joined at the base by a continuous lobby. A fourth ‘concert hall’, called Cavea, is the open air theater recalling ancient Greek and Roman theaters. The fan-shaped layout is formed around the central piazza.” (Parco della Musica, Wikipedia)

See also: Sala Santa Cecilia

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Le Chien

Le Chien, The Dog by René Paris, Square Saint-Lambert, Paris

“Le Chien” (The Dog) by René Paris, 1928
Square Saint-Lambert
Quartier Saint-Lambert, 15th arrondissement
Paris, July 2012

Monday, May 18, 2015

Ponte del Diavolo

Ponte del Diavolo, Devil's Bridge, Rio di San Provolo, Castello, Venice

Ponte del Diavolo (Devil's Bridge)
Rio di San Provolo, Castello
Venice, September 2013

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Strata SE1

Strata SE1, Walworth Road, Elephant and Castle, Southwark, London

Strata SE1 by BFLS, 2010
Walworth Road, Elephant and Castle
London, September 2014

“Strata, a luxury apartment building in London's Elephant and Castle district, will offer residents the best views of the city when it opens in July - as long as they do not look down. Buyers were told that by 2014, the condemned public-housing projects and pedestrian tunnels next to the skyscraper would be transformed into thousands of modern homes on tree-lined streets with little traffic. It will now take 12 years longer, according to the local Southwark Council. The tower, known as the Electric Razor because of its shape, will be the tallest of its kind in central London. One unit fetched £2 million ($3.3 million) when the apartments were put on the market in 2007. It is meant to be the start of a long-awaited revival of the area.” (Nestled among ghost homes, The Sydney Morning Herald)

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Crowning Sculpture

Crowning sculpture by Frederick MacMonnies, Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch, Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, New York

Crowning sculpture by Frederick MacMonnies, 1895
Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch (Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument)
Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn
New York, September 2007

Friday, May 15, 2015

Paris in Bicycle

Paris in bicycle tour, avenue de La Motte-Picquet, Champ de Mars, Paris

Paris in bicycle tour
Place Joffre
Quartier du Gros-Caillou, 7th arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Drag Snail Anton

Drag Snail Anton by Tom Hoffmann, Armando Poggi, Via dei Calzaiuoli, Florence

Drag Snail Anton (large, medium, and small) by Tom Hoffmann
Armando Poggi
Via dei Calzaiuoli
Florence, October 2013

“Witty, whimsical, weird – spanning all the colors of the rainbow, Tom’s Drags are unique and stylishly designed objects for the home. They are matchless but of course they have their roots, too. Their designer, Tom Hoffmann (1956-2012) traveled often and loved it. In his work we find influences from European and American pop art. They are reminiscent of Yellow Submarine, and also of the ornamentation in European, African and Asian popular culture. Tom combined these in his very own unique way, thus creating a lusty frenzy of colors and joys of life. His work is ‘original’ in the truest sense of the word!” (Tom’s Drag Collection, Tom’s Drag)

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Chelsea Quadriga

Warrior on a quadriga with horses by Amédée Joubert, The Pheasantry, King's Road, Chelsea, London

Warrior on a quadriga with horses, architectural sculpture by Amédée Joubert, 1881
PizzaExpress, The Pheasantry
King's Road, Chelsea
London, September 2014

“English Heritage believe that the current building was constructed in the mid-nineteenth century. The Companion Guide to London states that the Jouberts bought the building in 1880 and it seems that they added significant amounts of architectural decoration around that time. According to Nikolaus Pevsner and Bridget Cherry, the building includes a ‘flamboyant Louis XV façade and a triumphal entrance arch to its front courtyard with caryatids and quadringa ... the odd, extremely heavy display of Grecian enthusiasm were added to an earlier house in 1881 by the artist and interior decorator Amédée Joubert.’ The London Green Guide noted in 2012 that only the facade and portico survive.” (The Pheasantry, Wikipedia)

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

La Bocca della Verità

La Bocca della Verità, The Mouth of Truth, Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome

La Bocca della Verità (The Mouth of Truth)
Santa Maria in Cosmedin (Saint Mary in Cosmedin)
Piazza della Bocca della Verità
Rome, May 2010

Monday, May 11, 2015

Theseus and the Minotaur

Thésée combattant le Minotaure, Theseus fighting the Minotaur by Étienne-Jules Ramey, Tuileries Garden, Paris

Thésée combattant le Minotaure (Theseus fighting the Minotaur) by Étienne-Jules Ramey, 1826
Le Grand Carré
Jardin des Tuileries (Tuileries Garden)
Quartier Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, 1st arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Sant'Elena

Church of Sant'Elena, Castello, Venice

Church of Sant'Elena by Giacomo Celega, 1439
Sant'Elena, Castello
Venice, September 2013

“Tradition says a church was built here in 1060. Records show that a monastery and hospice was founded here in 1175. Doge Pietro Ziani had a church built here in 1205 and in 1211 the body of St Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, was buried here following its theft by Venetians from Constantinople. A papal bull of 1407 lead to the creation of a monastery for Benedictine Olivetan monks and this reconstruction, by Giacomo Celega with help from Bartolomeo Tesenato, was completed in 1439. More work followed, before the church was reconsecrated in 1515.” (Sant’Elena, The Churches of Venice)

Saturday, May 9, 2015

SIS Building

SIS Building, MI6 Building, Albert Embankment, Vauxhall, Lambeth, London

Secret Intelligence Service Building by Terry Farrell and Partners
Albert Embankment, Vauxhall, Lambeth
London, September 2014

“Farrell's influences for Vauxhall Cross speak of 1930s architecture (Battersea and Bankside power stations) and Mayan and Aztec temples. Regalian issued a press release in February 1989 stating that the building had been sold for £130 million and that construction was to take three years. During excavation of the site, the remains of seventeenth century glass kilns, three barge houses and an inn (The Vine) came to light and there was evidence of a river wall.” (Buildings, Secret Intelligence Service)

Friday, May 8, 2015

Chamisso

Adelbert von Chamisso by Julius Moser, Berlino

Bust of Adelbert von Chamisso by Julius Moser, 1888
Monbijou Park
Oranienburg Strasse
Berlin, September 2011

“Chamisso was also a noted scientist involved in the discovery of the metagenesis of certain mollusks and a philologist known for his studies of Australasian languages. When he was botanist on a scientific voyage around the world (1815–18), he kept a diary, Reise um die Welt mit der Romanzoffischen Entdeckungs-Expedition (1836; ‘Voyage Around the World with the Romanzov Discovery Expedition’), which became a classic of its kind.” (Adelbert von Chamisso, Encyclopædia Britannica)

Thursday, May 7, 2015

After Eleven

Paris

“After Eleven” - “Gastronomie ambulante et nocturne” Food Truck
Italian Street Food (usually in rue Balard)
Rue Castagnary
Quartier Saint-Lambert, 15th arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Museo Marino Marini

Museo Marino Marini, Marino Marini Museum, Piazza San Pancrazio, Florence

Museo Marino Marini (Marino Marini Museum)
Piazza San Pancrazio
Florence, April 2015

“The Marino Marini Museum, in the heart of the historical center of Florence, between via della Vigna Nuova and piazza Santa Maria Novella, is housed in the ancient church of S. Pancrazio, founded before 1000, deconsacrated in 1809 and used for several activities for down one century. The museum was inaugurated in 1988 after the extensive restoration work directed by the architects Bruno Sacchi and Lorenzo Papi.” (Marino Marini Museum, The Museums of Florence)

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Woman of Samaria

Female figure on drinking fountain, Woman of Samaria, Guilford Place, London

Female figure on drinking fountain (aka “Woman of Samaria”)
Guilford Place opposite Coram's Fields
London, September 2014

“The gift and installation of this fountain was very much in the tradition begun in London in the 1850s when the need for clean drinking water led to the founding of the Metropolitan Free Drinking Fountain Association. From its beginnings in 1859, the Association sponsored the installation of many public drinking fountains in Great Britain, many of which were quite similar to Mrs. Graham's fountain: they featured an image of the Woman of Samaria or Rebecca at the Well and offered drink to both people and horses. Often these drinking fountains were of granite but there are some notable examples in cast-iron. More on this subject can be found in Philip Davies' Troughs and Drinking Fountains, Fountains of Life published in London in 1989.” (Sarah Brandes Madry, Well Worth a Shindy, 2002)

Monday, May 4, 2015

Cesare Battisti

Bust of Cesare Battisti, University of Florence, Piazza San Marco, Florence

Bust of Cesare Battisti by M. Ciappino
University of Florence
Piazza San Marco
Florence, October 2013

“Cesare Battisti, trentino, laureato nell'Ateneo fiorentino, scrittore, oratore, deputato a Vienna, lottò; ufficiale nei nostri Alpini prese le armi per la redenzione della sua terra; impiccato dall'Austria il 12 luglio 1916, col suo martirio esalta contro l'infamia degli Asburgo l'idea della patria, il sacro diritto d'Italia, il costume di Firenze, 6 agosto 1916.”

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Marble Lion


Marble lion by Pietro Tacca
Terrasse de l'Orangerie
Jardin des Tuileries (Tuileries Garden)
Quartier Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, 1st arrondissement
Paris, July 2012

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Fiesole Cathedral

Cattedrale di San Romolo, Fiesole Cathedral, Fiesole, Florence

Cattedrale di San Romolo (Fiesole Cathedral), 1028
Piazzetta della Cattedrale, Fiesole
Florence, April 2015

“This building dates back to the year 1028 when Bishop Jacopo il Bavaro decided to move the cathedral from its original position near the abbey, within the city walls. He dedicated it to Saint Romolo, an evangelist from Fiesole, and this saint feature heavily in the works of art in the cathedral.” (Fiesole Cathedral, Turismo in Toscana)

Friday, May 1, 2015

Regents Place Pavilion

Regents Place Pavilion by Carmody Groarke, Regents Place, Camden, London

Regents Place Pavilion by Carmody Groarke, 2009
Regents Place, Camden
London, September 2014

“The pavilion is created by a field of steel rods supporting a thin plate canopy eight metres above the streetscape. Pathways are defined within the pavilion by removing clusters of the rod structure, creating a generous seating area. These pathways reveal various densities of vertical rods, which shimmer in sunlight by day and reflect intense projected light by night, generating a visual moiré effect for passers by. At night the visual transparency of the structure is reinforced by up-lighting the clusters of rods - the pavilion appears to 'hold' light within its structure.” (Regents Place Pavilion, Carmody Groarke)