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Wednesday, January 13, 2016

TEST: A Sight to Behold: Venice in December...

Italy… there are millions of things that one could say about how wonderful Italy is in the winter. One of the best things is… it’s cold! At least in the north it is, and of course that’s where Venice is. One of the challenges with Venice is that it’s so beautiful and so popular that for much of the year it almost feels like Time’s Square on New Year’s because it’s so crowded. Not so much in the winter however. In the winter Venice is nothing short of spectacular.

And that’s where Angie and Hugh went this past December. Staying at the Antiche Figure Hotel, a 16th century beauty located across the Grand Canal from the train station, they spent a week seeing pretty much everything one could imagine.

One of the great things about Venice in the winter is that it’s pretty easy to walk down the sidewalks, something that can be a bit of a challenge in the summer when there are so many people. On the other hand, floating down the sidewalks in the winter isn’t unheard of that’s when the city is traditionally most affected by extraordinary tides that can result in high tides 6 ft. above normal… (They are called the Acqua Alta) Which can be a problem for a city built at sea level… In such instances one would walk on the passarelle, the elevated walkways that are set up around the city… or bring galoshes. Luckily our intrepid adventurers didn’t have to worry about flooding this year.

Of course the trip begins with the Doge’s Palace and works around the city from there. Venice seems to have something to see around every corner and across every bridge. There is St. Mark’s Square where the winter chill can be warmed by the liquid gold of Café Florian’s hot chocolate, the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari church with Giovanni Bellini’s Madonna and Child altarpiece, and the Gallerie dell'Accademia with masterpieces from the likes of Titian, Canaletto and da Vinci. The Accademia was particularly fascinating because it’s just recently come out of renovation and as a result the colors were extraordinarily vibrant and the walls and the ceilings seemed like they’d just been presented for the first time.

Angie and Hugh particularly enjoyed the Ca' Rezzonico, not far from the Accademia. This canal facing beauty is dedicated to 18th century Venice and features wonderful pieces of art as well as spectacular frescos, but its real treasure is its collection of period piece furniture. They also visited the Galleria Giorgio Franchetti alla Ca' d'Oro, better known as Ca’ d’Oro, which means Golden House. The collection, much of which was accumulated in the 19th century by banking baron Giorgio Franchetti, is one of the most eclectic in Venice, consisting of paintings, sculptures, reliefs, fragments and a number of spectacular frescos.

But Venice is not all about public museums or cathedrals. One of the fascinating things about Venice is that there is no shortage of houses that have been turned into museums. For people in the antique business like Hugh and Angie, that is a little like being kids in a candy store. Although antique prices are typically too high to be able to ship and sell at a profit, from a research perspective it’s a goldmine. From lighting and mirrors and furniture to sunbursts and fragments and statuary, Venice gives one a wonderful opportunity to see pieces in their original settings, with original paints and often still being used for their original purposes.

Then of course there are the canals… While walking the narrow crooked streets of Venice is part of the city’s charm, the canals are Venice. Although from seeing Casino Royale, From Russia With Love or The Italian Job one might imagine that everyone in the city gets around by speedboat, the reality is that the primary vehicles in Venice are the water taxis and the romantic gondolas. Running throughout the year – except when strikes strike – they are a wonderful way of getting around. But of course, did we mention that it’s cold in December? When not walking about Angie and Hugh opted for the water taxis, which are like New York City’s tourist busses, you get on and off at different locations around the city as it fits your itinerary. Sure, it’s cold on the taxis too… but they get you to your destination much faster than the gondolas or walking!

Finally, given that the city is basically a collection of buildings separated by canals that one has to cross every so often, there are the bridges. Angie and Hugh may not have crossed every one, but they crossed quite a few, including the Ponte degli Scalzi, the Ponte dell'Accademia and of course the Bridge of Sighs. Sadly however, as it was under construction, they were unable to cross what is perhaps the city’s most beautiful bridge, the Rialto.

So, now that we’ve explored Venice, the second part of the trip, Florence, will be coming up soon. Below are some of our duo's pictures from Venice.

Lion fresco from Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari

Altar in the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari

A floor to ceiling door panel in the Scuola Grande di San Rocco.

A ceiling panel in the Scuola Grande di San Rocco featuring paintings by Tintoretto, who was commissioned to do most of the paintings in the building.

A chandelier in the Ca' Rezzonico.

Another chandelier in the Ca' Rezzonico.

A chair in the Ca' Rezzonico.

A marble floor in the Ca' Rezzonico.

Venetian ribbon back chairs.

A mirror in the Ca' Rezzonico.

A chest in the Ca' Rezzonico.

Another mirror in the Ca' Rezzonico.

A Vaporetto stop - where one picks up the water taxi.

The Grande Canal.

The Rialto Bridge, which was under construction and covered with a faux facade.

A statue standing on the inlaid tile floor in the Ca’ d’Oro, which is more often than not under water this time of year.

The facade of the Gallerie dell'Accademia.

Giant works in the Gallerie dell'Accademia painted by Titian.

Madonna and Child - Giovanni Bellini in the Accademia.

The bell tower of St. Mark's Basilica towers above St. Mark's Square and the Doge's Palace.

A cabinet in the Doge's Palace.

Fragments from the exterior of the Doge's Palace.

Directions anyone? Giant globe and map in the Doge's Palace.

Although these walls in the Doge's Palace may look like they feature frescos, in reality these are giant paintings which were painted specifically for these walls.

Jail cells connected to the Doge's Palace which can only be reached by crossing the appropriately named Bridge of Sighs.

The Lion of St. Mark, the symbol of Venice, on the facade of the Doge's Palace.

Interior of St. Mark's Basilica.

St. Mark's Basilica.

A mosaic on the exterior of St. Mark's Basilica.

Off duty Gondolas moored near St. Mark's Square.

Venice at sunset from the Ponte degli Scalzi, literally, "bridge of the barefoot [monks]".

Monday, November 30, 2015

Chandeliers Test

The English word chandelier comes the French world chandelle, which means candle, and chandelle comes from the Latin word candere, which means ‘be white, glisten.’

Today glisten is definitely a word most of us would associate with chandeliers. When we think of chandeliers, we usually think of a giant, ornate, crystal covered fixture that features dozens of lights and seems like it could illuminate an entire stadium… albeit a small one! Of course such chandeliers do exist, but that’s definitely not how they got started.

An electric version of an early wooden cross chandelier

The first chandeliers of the 14th century were little more than wooden crosses with nails at the end of each arm to hold candles. Soon more complex forms were created based on ring or crown designs. Although early chandeliers were relatively simple, they were still quite expensive and were therefore typically only found in churches, abbeys, other large gathering places as well as in the homes of the wealthiest merchants and nobles. Indeed, with the poor housing construction of the time, chandeliers would have posed a great fire hazard in most other structures.

As manufacturing techniques and materials evolved, chandeliers became far more varied and elegant. While wooden chandeliers remained a staple for centuries, over time metals, glasses and crystals would come to dominate the chandelier universe. This is particularly true of wealthy households and in public spaces that were intended to impress nobles and commoners alike.

By the late 17th century chandeliers were quite ornate, with long curved arms, dozens of candles and unique designs. Although the majority of pieces at the time were still wood and cast metals, gilding was an increasingly sought after feature. In the 18th century developments in Bohemien glassmaking allowed lead crystal, with its light refracting facets, to become a common element of high end chandeliers. At the same time, the Venetians, not wanting to be left out of the mix, began crafting unique chandeliers of their own which included intricate carvings of leaves, flowers, fruits as well as a spectrum of colors that were a specialty of Murano. In addition, Murano glass, because of its unique properties, was some of the lightest glass in the world, which allowed for more decoration without adding tremendously to the weight of the piece. These embellishments were particularly important to Venetian success as Murano glass was not suitable for faceting.

For a short period in the 19th and early 20th century gas replaced candles as the primary light source for chandeliers. Soon thereafter however, as access to electricity became widespread and dependable, it replaced gas as the main light source for chandeliers. In the case of some extraordinary chandeliers, they started out with candles, were reworked to use gas then they were reworked again for electricity.

The Hall of Mirrors at Herrenchiemsee

Of course the advent of electricity and the move away from candles made chandeliers far more accessible to the common household – although still reserved for the relatively well off. The reason for this was the fact that chandeliers with candles… well… burnt a lot of candles, and often took large and expensive staffs to light and maintain. Perhaps the greatest example of this can be found in Schloss Herrenchiemsee, King Ludwig’s Bavarian tribute to Versailles. In one room alone – the Hall of Mirrors – Ludwig had 52 candelabras and 33 giant chandeliers. Together these 85 lights were illuminated by 7,000 candles, which took a staff of 70 a full thirty minutes to light every night the king was in the residence. Not surprisingly, the king ran out of money in 1885 and had to stop construction on the palace. When he died a year later Herrenchiemsee still had 50 rooms that were left unfinished.

Today chandeliers come in all shapes and sizes. Some are shimmering with countless faceted crystals while others are made of wrought iron. Still others are made of brass or even wood. A chandelier is often the first item that attracts the eye and as such usually sets the tenor of the room. Whether it’s in a brightly lit dining room with a high white ceiling or a dusky wood paneled den, like the cherry on top of a sundae, finding just the right chandelier can pull all of a room’s elements together and create an ambience that is far more than the sum of its parts.

A French Six-Light Iron Chandelier with Applied Gilded Elements. Circa 1960.

An Art Deco Chandelier with mirrored ball

An Italian Basket Crystal Four-Light Chandelier with Crystal Center Column and Gold Mercury Glass Accents. Early 20th Century.

A Dale Chihuly glass chandelier

A French Eight-Light Wrought Iron Round Chandelier with Twisted Arms. Circa 1940 or 1950.

A Lüsterweibchen Austrian Light Fixture - c. 1820-30 consisting of the torso of a maiden with "Antlers Wings" and a Coat of Arms.

A chandelier in the Napoleon III Apartments in the Louvre

A Pair of Italian Early 19th Century Crystal Chandeliers With Wooden Central Column, Multiple Faceted Crystals and Swoop Gilded Arms. 2 Available, Priced and Sold Separately.

A French Vintage Eight-Light Painted Iron Chandelier with S-Scroll Arms
from the Mid 20th Century.

Empire 24 Carat Gold Hotel Chandelier

Beautiful Italian Late 18th Century ~ Early 19th Century Church Hanging Lantern. Wonderful Paint and Carving.

An Exquisite 10-Light Italian 19th Century and Later Crystal Chandelier with Blue Crystals and Central Painted Wooden Column.

A French Six-Light Painted Wood Chandelier with Barley Twist Central Column and Arms from the 20th Century.

Chandeliers hanging in the Jai Vilas Palace in Gwalior, India

A Lovely Italian 18 Lights on Two Level Crystal Chandelier from the Mid 20th Century. At the Lower Level, the Lights' Arms Alternate in Width, Giving a Lot of Life to this Chandelier.

A French Vintage Painted Iron Six-Light Chandelier with Flower Shaped Bobeches
from the Mid 20th Century.

The chandelier in the Small Senate Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol

A Very Large Size Forged Iron Eight Light Chandelier made of Old French Arms and Two Tiered Newer Rings, with Diamond Patterns. Mid 20th Century. Adjustable height.

A Crystal Italian 12-Light Chandelier with 2-Tiered Bobeches and Gilded Iron Armature.

Mid 20th Century.

A Porcelain Chandelier in Schloss Herrenchiemsee

A 19th Century Italian Eight-Light Silver Gilt Chandelier with Leaf Arms and Flower Shaped Bobeches.

A French Eight-Light Iron Chandelier Made from a 19th Century Spitjack. Circa 1950

An Italian Six-Light Crystal Chandelier with Lower Round Crystal Finial, From the 1950's - 1960's.

A Pair of 19th Century Italian Three-Arm Painted and Gilded Wood Chandeliers with Swoop Arms, Tassels and Floral Decor.

And if you'd like to see how modern crystal chandeliers are made, watch the great video above.