Remembrance of Sounds Past
Jun 17, 2013 4:11:50 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2013 4:11:50 GMT -5
Good morning to you all! I trust that you all had a most enjoyable weekend. For the record, I took my own father to see the Riesener Commode at the Wallace Collection on Fathers' Day yesterday. We had a great time!
Afternoon tea was not bad, either! All I can add is that the champagne was fine and sparkling and the filet of veal with beetroot gravlax and thyme sabayon was out of this world!
The Wallace Restaurant
London Cultureseekers Group - The Wallace Collection
In its twenty-five galleries are unsurpassed displays of French eighteenth century painting, furniture and porcelain, and also a collection of superb Old Master paintings and a world class armoury.
The Wallace Collection
On 9 December 1780, the Riesener Commode was delivered to the palace of Versailles by the royal cabinet-maker, Jean-Henri Riesener, for the use of Queen Marie-Antoinette in her private study. The commode was described as being a ‘new model’ in the palace records and it marks a step towards the refined simplicity of Riesener’s later works. He used the lattice-work marquetry and tripartite form for which he was renowned, but embellished the piece with jewel-like gilt bronze mounts that are more delicate and naturalistic than those on his earlier works. These depictions of real flowers – including roses, pinks, narcissi, poppies, lilies-of-the-valley and dahlias – reflect the love of nature which was such an important element in French court fashion at this time and which was a defining characteristic of Marie-Antoinette’s personal taste. In the centre of the frieze, garlanded by flowers, are the Queen’s initials framing the key-hole. The workmanship is of the very highest quality.
Based on findings from a recent conservation project, the Wallace Collection has digitally reconstructed the colours of the original commode to show you how vibrant and colourful furniture of this type could be, something which is perhaps rather startling to our eyes and which may surprise you with its different appearance. To see this and to find out more about the exciting conservation findings, visit the exhibition 'True Colours' which is currently on display in the Ritblat Conservation Gallery, on the lower ground floor of the Wallace Collection. If you happen to be in the area, it is well worth taking a look at the exhibition (until the end of 2013)!
Conservation in Focus: True colours revealed – the treatment of a chest of drawers for Marie-Antoinette
'The Times' leads this week with some editorial comment on Remembrance of Sounds Past. Our senses are highly interconnected. Something that is pleasurable to one sense becomes associated with pleasure to another. Beautiful food tastes better and diners who like the background music enjoy the flavours more. Crisp makers pack their nibbles in crinkly bags because we subconsciously associate the sound with freshness and crunchiness. Crisps that don’t crunch when you bite them simply do not taste as good.
This has proved a problem for winemakers. Most would love to ditch corks in favour of screw tops, which are cheaper and more reliable. But wine lovers so associate the sound of a cork popping, that they are prepared to put up with a corked bottle! 'The Thunderer' concludes that we still hanker after the noise of popping corks and Black Sabbath. We have our exits and our entrances, Sydney Grew; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
At first, the infant, mewling and puking in the nurse's arms. And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel and shining morning face, creeping like snail unwillingly to school. And then the lover, sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier, full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard, jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel, seeking the bubble reputation even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice, in fair round belly with good capon lined, with eyes severe and beard of formal cut, full of wise saws and modern instances; and so he plays his part.
The sixth age shifts into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon, with spectacles on nose and pouch on side, his youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide for his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice, turning again toward childish treble, pipes and whistles in his sound. Last scene of all, that ends this strange eventful history, is second childishness and mere oblivion, Neil McGowan, sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything!
Wikipedia - All the world's a stage
Afternoon tea was not bad, either! All I can add is that the champagne was fine and sparkling and the filet of veal with beetroot gravlax and thyme sabayon was out of this world!
The Wallace Restaurant
London Cultureseekers Group - The Wallace Collection
In its twenty-five galleries are unsurpassed displays of French eighteenth century painting, furniture and porcelain, and also a collection of superb Old Master paintings and a world class armoury.
The Wallace Collection
On 9 December 1780, the Riesener Commode was delivered to the palace of Versailles by the royal cabinet-maker, Jean-Henri Riesener, for the use of Queen Marie-Antoinette in her private study. The commode was described as being a ‘new model’ in the palace records and it marks a step towards the refined simplicity of Riesener’s later works. He used the lattice-work marquetry and tripartite form for which he was renowned, but embellished the piece with jewel-like gilt bronze mounts that are more delicate and naturalistic than those on his earlier works. These depictions of real flowers – including roses, pinks, narcissi, poppies, lilies-of-the-valley and dahlias – reflect the love of nature which was such an important element in French court fashion at this time and which was a defining characteristic of Marie-Antoinette’s personal taste. In the centre of the frieze, garlanded by flowers, are the Queen’s initials framing the key-hole. The workmanship is of the very highest quality.
Based on findings from a recent conservation project, the Wallace Collection has digitally reconstructed the colours of the original commode to show you how vibrant and colourful furniture of this type could be, something which is perhaps rather startling to our eyes and which may surprise you with its different appearance. To see this and to find out more about the exciting conservation findings, visit the exhibition 'True Colours' which is currently on display in the Ritblat Conservation Gallery, on the lower ground floor of the Wallace Collection. If you happen to be in the area, it is well worth taking a look at the exhibition (until the end of 2013)!
Conservation in Focus: True colours revealed – the treatment of a chest of drawers for Marie-Antoinette
'The Times' leads this week with some editorial comment on Remembrance of Sounds Past. Our senses are highly interconnected. Something that is pleasurable to one sense becomes associated with pleasure to another. Beautiful food tastes better and diners who like the background music enjoy the flavours more. Crisp makers pack their nibbles in crinkly bags because we subconsciously associate the sound with freshness and crunchiness. Crisps that don’t crunch when you bite them simply do not taste as good.
This has proved a problem for winemakers. Most would love to ditch corks in favour of screw tops, which are cheaper and more reliable. But wine lovers so associate the sound of a cork popping, that they are prepared to put up with a corked bottle! 'The Thunderer' concludes that we still hanker after the noise of popping corks and Black Sabbath. We have our exits and our entrances, Sydney Grew; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
At first, the infant, mewling and puking in the nurse's arms. And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel and shining morning face, creeping like snail unwillingly to school. And then the lover, sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier, full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard, jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel, seeking the bubble reputation even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice, in fair round belly with good capon lined, with eyes severe and beard of formal cut, full of wise saws and modern instances; and so he plays his part.
The sixth age shifts into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon, with spectacles on nose and pouch on side, his youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide for his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice, turning again toward childish treble, pipes and whistles in his sound. Last scene of all, that ends this strange eventful history, is second childishness and mere oblivion, Neil McGowan, sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything!
Wikipedia - All the world's a stage
