26 Jun 2015

Codename: Monsieur Z

This might not jump off the page as a given but Mirabelle loves 1950s-1960s graphics. There is something reassuringly comforting that emanates from the illustrations of that era, in terms of colours, finesse of the trait and the general sunny disposition that beams out of the scenery and characters, immersed in a utopian transposition of life on earth. This golden age recreation might be but idealised depiction, yet it is extremely seductive and enticing.


I cannot help but believe that this general graphic optimism that took off on a par with post-war consumerism was a translation of the feeling of the times. Back then within our westernised societies, it seemed that dreams were not the stuff of dreams anymore, that they could and should come true. There was a sense of personal betterment (and encouragement towards it), no matter where we were to seek it, be it socially, intellectually, spiritually, financially, materially or else. Business and industry were thriving again, there was also a strong national pride, not just in terms of patriotism, but also in terms of collective prosperity and personal success.


There was an insolent vivacity and an insouciance that I struggle to find in modern day life and graphics, even those that are heavily-inspired by the mid-century era. However a French illustrator going by the enigmatic code name of Monsieur Z, and otherwise known as Richard Zielenkiewicz, has managed to recreate the golden age of mid-century graphic design, both in style and spirit. His creations are little gems of Riviera joy!



Source: All the illustrations by © Monsieur Z a.k.a. Richard Zielenkiewicz. (1) Anse San Peyre, La Garde (Var). (2) Jardin Olbius Riquier, Hyères (Var). (3) La Via Olbia, Hyères. (4) Visitez Paris. (5) Téléphérique du Mont Faron, Toulon (Var). (6) Italia è Cassis, 3ème Edition du Village Italien (9-13 Nov. 2011). (7) Carqueiranne, La Californie Varoise.

23 Jun 2015

The 1940s Paris Apartment

Picture the scene - Five years ago, one Solange Beaugiron, a 91-year-old French lady, passed away in the south of France, leaving in her estate a mysterious Paris apartment located in the 9th arrondissement, less than a mile away from Opéra Garnier. The apartment belonged to her grandmother, a one-time actress and high-class courtesan known as Marthe de Florian (1864-1939).


Marthe died in the apartment that she shared with her only son, Henri (1884-1966). In 1942, under the German occupation of Paris, Henri's daughter, Solange, relocated down south. Meanwhile Henri carried on leaving at the apartment until his death. Solange never returned to clear the property, instead limiting her involvement to paying the obligatory taxes and expenses.


Miraculously for all of those years that the Paris apartment had been put to a forced and restful slumber like Sleeping Beauty incarnate, it remained untouched. A thin veil of dust enshrined its contents, as if to preserve them from the harshness of the passing of time. When the De Florian estate officials carefully pushed open that front door, they were faced with the stuff of fairy tales that transcends any secret expectation: a treasure trove of time-defiant relics and antiques-worthy artefacts (the monumental vanity table to begin with!), not to mention piles of love letters, and a portrait of Marthe by Italian painter and personal admirer of hers, Giovanni Boldini (1842-1931) that would go on to fetch a record €2.1 million at auction!


The apartment got Mirabelle's mind into overdrive. I imagine that some of the artefacts I have included below might well have found themselves at home in such a place! Just think of those little classy - short of rococo - vintage pieces that Madame de Florian would have fancied surrounding herself with: -



Are there any artefacts which you would like me to add to Madame de Florian's apartment? Let's have a little fun and email me the links to mirabelle.inspiration@gmail.com and I shall upload the pictures to this very article.

Sources: (1-3) Madame de Florian's apartment, via Démotivateur. (3) Portrait of Madame de Florian by Giovanni Boldini. The painting was found in the apartment. (4) Antique French Pink-Lined Trinket Box (jewellery case) and (5) Victorian 14K Gold Amethyst and Seed Pearl Ring, both via Paris Hotel Boutique. (6) Pellucid Earrings by Sorrelli, and (7) Pont d'Arcades Clutch by Santi, both via BHLDN. (8) Signed Art Nouveau 14K Gold Enameled Pansy Flower Pin Pendant and Watch Holder, via Ebay.

15 Jun 2015

The Tile Files: Delftware

Welcome to Mirabelle's monthly design series, The Tile Files. Last month we felt blue for all the right reasons and thought we should this month too. After our Spanish and Portuguese Azulejo escapade, we are now heading north to The Netherlands to uncover a technique that made the town of Delft renowned the world over. Then our decorative arts exploration will take us Channel-hopping. Delftware is a hand-painted decorative technique on tin-glazed pottery that translates not only to tilework but also homewares, down to pictorial plates and the humble teapot!

Rijksmuseum (1700-1740)

There is an interesting link between Azulejo and Delft. Their cobalt blue decorative patterns on neutral white background trace their influence back to the Far East, China's Ming Dynasty porcelain. The Dutch East India Company (founded in 1602) traded with the Far East and would import the blue-patterned ornate porcelain, now a sought-after luxuryware that graced the homes of the nobility.

Rijksmuseum (circa 1690)

However during the course of The Dutch Golden Age (17th century), a shift was made towards the manufacture of a Dutch interpretation of the Chinese ware translated as 'Chinese style', rather than rely solely on costly imports that made it too exclusive and priced out the less wealthy segments of the population. The decision was also a result of Chinese exports ceasing with the death of the Wanli Emperor (1620).

Rago Arts Auctions

This heralded the advent of Delftware, an adaptation of Chinese decorative arts now featuring endearing pastoral scenes of Holland and surrounds, hand-crafted locally. Cobalt blue was defined as Delft Blue. In the space of two centuries, it is believed that 800 million Delft tiles were produced. Delftware became very popular, and was exported to Europe and as far away as... China and Japan! The Delftware technique developed outside of Holland. English Delftware is a beautiful example of this expansion, as testified in the example below (dated 1765), through the woodblock process which sped up considerably tile design, in line with the industrial revolution gathering momentum.

Martyn Edgell Antiques

By the mid-18th century, the once prosperous Delft's earthenware industry was increasingly being met with the stiff competition from porcelain clay in Europe, and in particular white-baking clay, which lent itself to a more streamlined process and versatility of uses. Meanwhile mass-production resulted in standardisation of artistic value (lack of innovation), accelerating the sharp decline of Delftware production after 1750 and the Dutch potteries closing down one after the other.

The only two potteries to have survived to this day are Royal Delft (Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles), the very last earthenware factory in Delft, which has been operating since 1653. The other Delftware company is Royal Tichelaar Makkum, the oldest in existence, based in Makkum, and believed to have been active since 1572.

Douglas Watson Studio
Despite its changing fortunes, Delftware has remarkably survived to the present day, where it still symbolises Holland, and where it is still being produced. A trip to Amsterdam in 2008 confirmed its popularity to me, beyond the clichés of the city centre tourist office shop. The colour scheme in itself has a timeless appeal that is unmatched by other colour schemes. Besides it is comforting to see that the Delft pottery tiles are still being manufactured, and not just in the windmill country, but also across the Channel, in England, at The Douglas Watson Studio for instance, where they are handmade, using traditional processes, with crackled glaze option for time patina effect.

Paul Bommer's Beesskep Tile

In 2012, English illustrator and print-maker Paul Bommer let his wit loose through a collection of 120 Faux Delft tiles - that celebrate English Delftware heritage - and which he designed as part of a display project set in the living room of an 18th century house. Much of his tile work was directly inspired by stories published in Spitafields Life about local London figures, including Steve Benbow, the urban beekeeper.

The Oct-Nov 2013 edition of Air France magazine celebrated the design-led revival of Blue Delft in its La Note Bleue article, paying tribute to the likes of interior designer Marcel Wanders c/o Hotel Andaz Amsterdam and architect Clément Blanchet c/o Parisian kebab house Grillé. Cf magazine article (page 122 + page 123) in PDF format.

Andaz Amsterdam

That's it from Delftware but that's not it from The Tile Files, as more jolly antics are to be had next month where we will rewind the time machine all the way to Antiquities, and applaud how those neat little squares of colour joined at the hip are still hip to this day: Mosaics!

Sources: (1-2) Via Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam). (1) Delftware Teapot (1700-1740). (2) Two plaques from a Column, De Grieksche A pottery factory, by artist Adrianus Kocx (circa 1690). The plaques were part of the wall decoration in the Water Gallery at Hampton Court Palace, the London residence of William and Mary. The Water Gallery was demolished shortly after Mary’s sudden death in 1692. The plaques were probably removed at that time and ended up on the market. The elaborate motifs and intricate friezes echo Azulejo panels on Portuguese church or castle edifices, and contrast with the pared-down simplicity of 'cheaper' yet still remarkable Delftware processes. (3) Four Delft Tiles, mounted, circa 17th-18th century, auctioned off via Rago Arts Auctions. (4) Liverpool Delft Tile with woodblock print, circa 1765, via Martyn Edgell Antiques. Woodblock print allowed for the mass-produced design of tiles, a cheaper and less labour-intensive process than hand-design. (5) Delft Full Landscape Tile (Ref: DEL19-01), depicts a bygone rural scene, yet handmade today by Douglas Watson Studio, Oxfordshire, England. (6) Beesskep Umbra Tile, one of 120 Faux Delft Tiles designed by English artist Paul Bommer, back in 2012. (7) Interior designer Marcel Wanders celebrated Delftware with a twist when designing the interiors of Hyatt Hotel Andaz Amsterdam, proving that Delftware can well rock timeless beyond eccentric!


21-Jun-2016 Update: The townscape painting 'View of houses in Delft, known as The Little Street' by Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) shall provide you with an idea of what the town of Delft looked like, circa 1658. Picture via the Google Art Project. The original oeuvre may be viewed at the Rijksmuseum. Meanwhile find out about the solving of the painting's mystery and thus which street in modern day Delft actually relates to the painting. Fascinating!

6 Jun 2015

Metalwork Mastery - Edgar Brandt

Edgar Brandt (1880-1960) was a prominent figure in the French design movement of Art Deco, (1920s-1940s), and in particular on the metalwork side of it, producing some of the finest functional AND decorative works of art of the times, from architectural pieces such as entrance gates and fireplace screens, to hypnotic cobra-shaped table lamps and andirons, down to the more 'prosaic' desk accessories.

He certainly redefined metalwork, by updating traditional craftsmanship methods with modern tooling, yet while keeping a strong sense of aesthetics, and pushing the capabilities of the craft. Edgar Brandt's most famous decorative screen, a unique monumental iron and brass five-panel feature, L'Oasis, and showcased at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes (a world design fair held in Paris that was to officially give its name to the flamboyant Art Deco movement) was a symbolic entrance into a new era of art and design.


Sources: (1-2) Edgar Brandt items listed in the Sotheby's Arts Décoratifs du XXè Siècle & Design Auction (Paris, 26-Nov-13). (1) 'Danseur', a Partially-gilded Wrought Iron Fire Screen, 1924, by Edgar Brandt. Item mentioned in Joan Kahr's Edgar Brandt, Master of Iron Work, Harry N. Abrams, Inc, New York, 1999, p. 122. (2) Wrought-Iron Umbrella Stand, circa 1930. (3) 'L'Age d'Or', a Patinated Iron Gilt Bronze Screen featuring three medallions executed by Max Blondat (1872-1926). Item listed in the Phillips Design Auction (New York, 11-Jun-2014). (4) Patinated Wrought-Iron Firescreen, circa 1925. Item listed in the upcoming 20th Century Design Sotheby's auction (New York, 09-Jun-15). (5) Elephant Ashtray in cast iron, Art Deco period. Item listed in the Drouot auction (Paris).

Further Resources:
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...