Number 42, Before Us
Yesterday we had the great pleasure of being visited by a former resident of number 42. One who grew up here and loves the place as much as we do. … Continue reading
Another Mazaversary!!! Also, lunch and dogs
The Ukrainian branch of the family is in a secure location so let’s set aside for a moment all the terrible things happening in the world. As we celebrate another … Continue reading
February Auction Highlights, London & Madrid
Still time to bid! Each with caned seat and back with loose cushions upholstered in red and cream damask. Profoundly French. I’ve always loved sitting at dining tables where everyone … Continue reading
Gorgeous Stuff; Autumn in Mazamet; And just for fun: The Canadian High Court Decision
The weather has been fantastic. Mild sunny days and cool nights. It feels like compensation for a summer that was very volatile. A book by Sonia Servant via the Dept. … Continue reading
The Secret of Life: We all play the status game, but who are the real winners?
“Life is a game. To understand this is to understand why the human world can be so maddening, angry and irrational. The behaviour of racists, transphobes, conspiracy theorists, cult members, … Continue reading
2021, Summer in Mazamet — and art
… and what a strange summer it has been so far. Another year without Summer-Girls visiting. Had they come, we’d be listening to Thomas Dutronc’s album Frenchy and drinking champagne … Continue reading
Camellia Season, Work and Many Versaries
First of all I’d like to know what the moratorium is in the post-Trump era before we can say offensive things again and not be confused with his supporters? I … Continue reading
The Redemptive Power of Beautiful Things
A more light-hearted post since whenever one turns on the television all we hear are terrible things – so I give you some beautiful things: I found this great little … Continue reading
Masterpiece Art: Stephen Finer, Portraits that Capture
I highly recommend this virtual exhibition, which you can see from the comfort of your home. Not a bad option these days. The paintings are sublime. STEPHEN FINER: PORTRAITS THAT … Continue reading
Beautiful Things: Roland Oudot and Mercier Freres
Roland Oudot and Mercier Frères. Two names that aren’t terribly well known although they should be. A few weeks ago I saw a painting by Oudot at auction and thought … Continue reading
A Lady of a Certain Size – and results. Also, STEP AWAY FROM THE ART!!!
Where do I begin? Well, the Spanish tapestry I mentioned in the last post nearly doubled its 2018 sale price. That’s some serious appreciation in a year’s time! The walnut … Continue reading
(Often Overlooked) Modern Artistic Wonders of Weaving
via tapestry ||| sotheby’s This is up for auction again – not sure why, but usually when things come up for sale just a year or two after they were … Continue reading
An 18th Century Walnut Sofa, Circa 1730; And other thoughts including on people who see Jesus on toast
It’s a very conservative estimate, but there’s a chance someone will end up with an outstanding piece of furniture for a very reasonable price. I still find it baffling that … Continue reading
Like stepping into a Jane Austen novel: The Harveys and the Herrings
To the left the Harveys, to the right the Herrings (of Norwich/Norfolk), in this most unusual portrait painted in 1820 by Joseph Clover, when the two prominent families were united … Continue reading
Lights, Camera – Mazamet
Lights, lights, lights in the garden! Absolutely wonderful. There was one thing I missed terribly about Spain and that was the ambience at night. Particularly in the garden at Villa … Continue reading
André-Léon Vivrel, Sotheby’s Hong Kong
AGE OF ELEGANCE: EUROPEAN PAINTINGS, FURNITURE AND SCULPTURE HONG KONG André-Léon Vivrel (1886-1976), FRENCH STILL LIFE Source: Vivrel Still Life, Sotheby’s This is an artist I did not know, but … Continue reading
Call this number and tell the woman I must see her chest without delay.
That’s the sort of unusual note Mike finds on his desk in the morning. And let me tell you, what a chest it turned out to be! Central or Northern … Continue reading
Mazamet, March 7th, 2019
February in Mazamet has been like Spring. Lots of sun and beautifully mild temperatures hovering around 15 during the day, cooler nights. It’s been very enjoyable but of course something … Continue reading
Early February in Mazamet. A little bit of wonderful.
First things first, I’ve been doing the interiors of the cabinets in the scullery. They were plain and boring – completely unrefined. So I thought I’d add a bit of … Continue reading
As I Walk Through the Valley of the Shadows of Hungry Ghosts
Or is it goats? Worry not, this isn’t a depressing post! I’m actually feeling very well. But this is a haphazard post which basically goes nowhere, so be warned. I’ve been … Continue reading
Chairs, China & Art – and detours
Remember how the dining room was nearly done? Oops. There’s been a detour. I wasn’t happy with the balance of the lighting as we sat at the table. The right … Continue reading
In research this week: The Commode en Console
“… It’s French name, commode en console, indicates that it is, in fact, a console table designed to stand against a wall and a commode or chest of drawers. A … Continue reading
Yippee: a crucifixion, abortion, ducks and pretty things!!!
And it’s only Wednesday! – In case you missed the exceedingly popular last issue of Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, there’s a fascinating article on the second case of crucifixion ever found. … Continue reading
Christie’s: The Kenneth Neame Collection, Including Arts of India, English and European Furniture and Works of Art
“This June, discover the refined taste of Kenneth Neame, one of London’s most respected antique dealers. Ahead of his forthcoming relocation, Neame is offering a curated selection of pieces from … Continue reading
Number 42: Upstairs Landing Update
The bedrooms side of the landing is now painted. Scaffolding will be needed for the stairs side. The Baudson Wisteria mirror (from the charity shop) has a new glass and … Continue reading
That was quick + The visit of flexitarian millenials.
– That took five minutes to sell, which is a rather good sign for the strengthening market of the area. Asking was 470 EU which is 580 US$ (at today’s … Continue reading
Hommage à la famille Hessel : mécènes et modèles | Christie’s
“The Hommage à la famille Hessel : Mécènes et Modèles auction, to be held on 23 March, offers one of the rarest art collections of the 20th century, including works by French … Continue reading
The Dilemma(s)
I spent a good long while last night examining the console table. The damage goes far beyond what I initially presumed. There’s over-painting throughout. And it’s not just the gold … Continue reading
From a 2014 Sale: An Italian green and gilt-japanned chinoiserie bureau cabinet, Venetian, circa 1750
“This striking bureau cabinet, decorated with chinoiserie scenes imitating Oriental lacquer, takes its inspiration from the form of early 18th century Anglo-Dutch examples, which quickly took root as important pieces of … Continue reading
Demystifying Maison Jansen by James Archer Abbott
“Befitting its rich heritage, the name “Jansen” has multiple connotations. First, it identifies a century-long, global offering of decorating services that focused on both historical revivals and contemporary trends, largely … Continue reading
The Heart is a Burial Ground: The lost, wild world of Caresse Crosby
“She is credited with inventing the modern bra, launched Salvador Dali on the international arts scene and founded a publishing house for writers including Hemingway, Joyce and Faulkner. But the … Continue reading
Beautiful Things: Indian Palampore or Genovese Mezzaro “Tapestries”
“A palampore is a type of hand-painted and mordant-dyed bed cover that was made in India for the export market during the eighteenth century and very early nineteenth century. Only … Continue reading
Many days are irritating, this wasn’t one of them.
Sorry, the pictures are awful; but what you see resting on the desk is a wonderful Belle Epoque mirror frame we found earlier today (I put another mirror behind it … Continue reading
Experimentations in Shallow Breathing
We watched Call Me by Your Name today. Undoubtedly the film of the year. It’s only going to be released in France in February, so it was excellent to see it … Continue reading
Big-nosed Jesus and God as a second-rate Santa: the worst Christian art | Art and design | The Guardian
“… Instead, Kermani does something both refreshingly cheeky and philosophically instructive. As he wonders what Christian art says about Christianity, he meditates on works ranging from Old Masters (Leonardo, Caravaggio, … Continue reading
Exceptional Beauty: Up Close and Personal with Goya
Boys with Mastiffs, de Goya y Lucientes Prado Museum 1786. Oil on canvas, 112 x 145 cm. “Two boys hold two large, muzzled mastiffs by their leads. On the collar … Continue reading
A very good blue & Larkin
“A Louis XV ormolu-mounted blue and gilt Vernis Martin bureau en pente. By Pierre IV Migeon, circa 1735-40, the vernis decoration attributed to the Martin Frères. Estimate: £120,000-180,000 The brothers … Continue reading
20ème siècle | Paris | October 2017 | Christie’s
“This October, Christie’s presents Giacometti’s colossal Grande femme II alongside Basquiat’s masterpiece, Jim Crow. Drawn from two exceptional French collections, the two works lead our series of auctions dedicated to … Continue reading
This week in that other part of my life
I’m overseeing the restoration of this rather wonderful Dolorosa (Madonna of the Seven Sorrows, to be specific). She’s circa 1750, carved wood, applied gesso and polychrome painted with glass eyes. … Continue reading
The Zurbarán Nearby
I recently discovered that the Zurbarán above lives just 20 minutes away from number 42. It’s at the former Episcopal Palace in Castres (now a museum.) A very nice building of … Continue reading
Ask not what a mirror can do for you-
Above are all Louis XIV mirrors. Fascinating period. As transitions go, probably one of the most significant in the history of art. We leave behind the heavy-handedness of everything that came … Continue reading
Matisse, Tiziano, Veronese & Diana Vreeland
Bacchus & Ariadne have just left. They’re on their way to Madrid where they’ll be restored by the exceptionally able hand who presided over much of the work at the … Continue reading
Musée d’Orsay: Frédéric Bazille (1841-1870). La jeunesse de l’impressionnisme.
“Comment regarder l’oeuvre de Frédéric Bazille, mort au combat en 1870 lors de la guerre franco-prussienne alors qu’il n’était âgé que de 28 ans ? Si ses premières toiles sont … Continue reading
Pastoral Amusements
Isn’t that room stunning? The tapestry you see on the wall on the left is the Cheval Fondu from the Amusements Champêtres series. It was thought to be Beauvais but … Continue reading
This week at nº 42: wildlife pictures (sort of) and guest rooms
Okay- so it’s not wildlife pictures in that Sonel or Ark sort of way. It’s one where nothing is moving, which means I can almost photograph it in focus! It’s … Continue reading
Valuable masterpieces in UK galleries replaced with fakes | ArtsHub United Kingdom
Seven paintings were replaced with copies by Sky Arts for a new TV series called Fake! The Great Masterpiece Challenge. Only the museum curators, the production team from IWC Media, … Continue reading
Ollie Dabbous at Sotheby’s
From: Anna Pinkney Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2016 6:25 PM Subject: Dabbous Pop-Up Restaurant at Sotheby’s DABBOUS AT SOTHEBY’S A celebration of all things British: In a one-off experience that … Continue reading
Christie’s NY: The Joan Rivers Sale
“As the first female host of a late night network television talk show, well-known for her co-hosting of E!’s Fashion Police and her acerbic but honest and clever remarks, the … Continue reading
Twiddlings
Have you ever considered you’re just twiddling? I went to a gallery opening earlier. Some beautiful things there (more on that tomorrow.) I saw a painting I intend to buy … Continue reading
Comments not loading + this brand new life
I click on the orange thingy on the upper right hand of the screen and nothing happens. That means I can only answer comments from the post itself, and then … Continue reading
Bedroom progress
The bedside chests are mirrored, art-deco style. The bedding is Christian Lacroix. Lamps arrived- still waiting on the Tibetan rug. Haven’t decided which paintings go where. We also got a … Continue reading
Light at the end of the… scraping.
The dining room: My floor scraping activities are going well. A bit hard on the hands, but there you go. The chandelier arrived and I couldn’t be more pleased. The … Continue reading
A Master Bedroom Is Born (Almost)
I’ll take pictures next week once everything is in place. The only thing not yet chosen is the fabric for the curtains. It was all looking a bit too dur … Continue reading
If sculptures could speak
I hadn’t noticed how funny that composition was until I uploaded the photo to the computer. One can just hear her saying, “there he goes again taking pictures of himself.” … Continue reading
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