It is perhaps less well known for a hub of Art Nouveau, but Nancy had a burgeoning scene before the First World War. The focus was on furniture (below right a desk and chair by Eugène Vallin), but the city is also known for its Art Nouveau architecture (below left is the Chambre of Commerce).Continue reading “Art Nouveau – The Ecole de Nancy”
Category Archives: Worlds
The King Who Didn’t Stay Buried
The last Plantagenet king of England, Richard III, was buried in 1485 – and reburied in 2015. The first time he was interred immediately after having lost the battle of Bosworth, into a Franciscan monastery in Leicester, close to the battlefield. But the monastery was mostly destroyed during the Reformation, and gradually all traces ofContinue reading “The King Who Didn’t Stay Buried”
Upstairs, Downstairs – at the Naumburg Cathedral
The choir of the medieval churches was usually reserved for the clergy and separated from the churchgoers with a more or less closed screen. Rarely were there two screens – one at both ends of the church, but the Naumburg Cathedral is one of them. It is even rarer that the screens have survived reformationContinue reading “Upstairs, Downstairs – at the Naumburg Cathedral”
Over-the-top Baroque
The interiors of the Baroque churches in Palermo seem to have been created by people with a clear ’horror vacui’, fear of emptiness. Every surface has been filled with statues, paintings and ornamentation. From a North European viewpoint, the Sicilian Baroque is really something else. Saints and biblical stories naturally dominate the narrative of theContinue reading “Over-the-top Baroque”
Normans in Sicily
As is well known, Normans (i.e. descendants of Vikings from Northern France) conquered Sicily from 999 onwards. They established the Palazzo dei Normanni in Palermo as their headquarters and built this originally Arab defensive fortress into a royal palace (title picture and below). Obviously later occupants have expanded and changed it considerably. Some of theContinue reading “Normans in Sicily”
Scipione Borghese’s art
If you are an art lover, it helps to get a collection going if your uncle is the pope and nepotism is the order of the day. Becoming a cardinal, getting the necessary income and influence happen just like that – and before you notice, you have a huge collection, a large villa and aContinue reading “Scipione Borghese’s art”
Paquebots in Nantes
The ’Normandie’ was the pride of French naval construction, so it is no wonder that it is the star of an exhibition on ocean liners at the Nantes Art Museum. In the 1930s, ocean liners were the epitome of luxury travel and were outfitted in the decorative styles of their time. The Normandie reflected lateContinue reading “Paquebots in Nantes”
Clermont-Ferrand – Between Vercingetorix and Michelin
If you want to know more about pneumatic tyres than you ever wanted to, visit the L’Aventure Michelin in Clermont-Ferrand, which tells the story of the local firm from tyres to restaurant and travel guides. Bibendum, the Michelin Man, is omnipresent, including a fountain (below left) that used to grace a swimming pool. However, theContinue reading “Clermont-Ferrand – Between Vercingetorix and Michelin”
St Kilda – life at the edge
A rocky island in the middle of the Atlantic, with fewer than 100 people, hunting birds and eggs for living – any takers? Didn’t think so, and in the end there were none. St Kilda is an archipelago to the west of Scotland, about 60 kilometres northwest of the Outer Hebrides. The islands rise outContinue reading “St Kilda – life at the edge”
The Golden Fleece – still kicking
All self-respecting medieval princes needed a prestigious chivalric order that they could bestow to their friends and allies – the best known of these is the Order of the Garter, bestowed by the English monarchs. The Dukes of Burgundy, for their part, had the Order of the Golden Fleece (below left, the chain of theContinue reading “The Golden Fleece – still kicking”
Rails, wines, worlds 