What a Difference a Dye Makes

Since 1999, wallpaper historians and specialist printers Chris Ohrstrom and Steve Larson have been reproducing some of the most important papers designed between 1740 and 1870. Using centuries-old techniques, Adelphi Paper Hangings block-prints patterns in their original colorways, as well as colors suited to today’s palette, which dramatically change the overall effect of the original design.

Adelphi is the sole commercial production facility for block printing historic wallpapers in the United States. In addition to American, French and English patterns from its own archive, they offer patterns licensed from the collections at the Smithsonian Institution, Colonial Williamsburg, Old Sturbridge Village, the New York State Historical Association, the Musée du Papier Peint (Rixheim, France), and many other historic institutions and private collections. The real sell? The studio cat called Zuber.


Everard Medallion, English circa 1760, in its original blue and a contemporary taupe:





The source for this pattern is a wallpaper fragment discovered beneath a 19th century cornice in the Thomas Everard House in the historic 18th century town of Williamsburg, Virginia. The diamond shaped design is formed by four slender scrolled leaves surrounding a foliate medallion. The scrolling and symmetry of the leaves are typical of the rococo period. This pattern utilizes a simply color scheme and a clever printing technique known as "slip-printing". Unlike most multicolored papers, which require a separate carved block for each color, this pattern creates a shadow effect by using only one. First the block prints the black and then, shifting registration slightly, it is used to print the white foreground image.



Webb House Damask, American circa 1780, in its original green, and in a mod black-and-white:




A flocked version of this flowering vine with diaper pattern is found in a bedroom of the 1752 Webb House in Wethersfield, Connecticut. It is supposed to have been hung in 1781 in preparation for a visit from George Washington, although that date is perhaps late for this pattern. The use of such a very large pattern in a small bedroom with low ceiling is surprising in the original setting, although the effect is impressive. Adelphi's version of this very fine pattern reproduces the original pattern and scale, but without flocking


Pineapples, American circa 1845, in its original blue-peach, and in an acidic yellow-green:





This exuberant paper was discovered covering a wooden bandbox made by Hannah Davis, who worked in Jaffrey, New Hampshire between 1825 and 1855. Well known for her carefully made hat and bandboxes, Davis is also credited with designing a machine to cut thin sheets of wood for the sides of her boxes. The Pinapples pattern probably dates from the late 1830s to the mid-1840s. It relates closely to a number of patterns found in upstate New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire, including Adelphi's Ada Harris and Middlefield Sprig patterns, all of which have a similar spray of leaves on stems in the background and pointed lozenge shapes. Pineapples was also printed with a bright green varnish, which was also very popular in the 1840s.



Wheatlands Volute, American circa 1850's, in its original grey-gold, and in a Wearstleresque rose and brown:






The "Wheatland" house was built in 1828 by William Jenkins, a wealthy Lancaster, Pennsylvania banker. In 1848, James Buchanan (then Secretary of State) bought the house and 22-acre estate. From there, in 1856, he conducted his "front porch" campaign for the Presidency. Wheatland became its symbol, and in many areas Buchanan supporters formed "Wheatland Clubs" to promote his election. Successful in his bid, he served one term (1857-61) in the White House and then returned to his estate to pass his remaining years. He died there in 1868. The house had several subsequent owners before being acquired in the 1930s by the Junior League of Lancaster, which later organized the James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland, the present owner. The room in which Adelphi's Wheatlands Volute is now hung is know from a published engraving of a political gathering to have contained wallpaper in Buchanan's time While the pattern cannot be identified from the etching, its curving motifs suggest that it was likely a volute pattern. In restoring the room, the Foundation selected this related, period sample in the Smithsonian's collection, which Adelphi reproduced in the original gold and gray on crème colorway.




www.adelphipaperhangings.com

One Cup, or Two?

Norwegian ceramist Ingvild Brady had a novel idea for her equally-novel designs: market her curious cups to the cafés of Oslo. It worked. They're found all over city.


The triumvirate - the artist's espresso, cappuccino and latte cups:








The mold-made designs range from smooth, footed espresso cups, to cappuccino and latte cups textured by a peculiar rose pattern... an element made even stranger on the taller latte cup by dollops of red glaze. There's something rather creepy about their nubbly nature, but they're disarmingly cute en masse and in use.

Brady's cups, lined up at Café Bacchus and in service at Café Rust:






www.ingvildbrady.com/

Patronage in Context: A New Book Examines One of England's Most Infamous Collectors

Portrait of a Patron, The Patronage and Collecting of James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos (1674–1744)
by Susan Jenkins


Once described as 'England's Apollo' James Brydges, first Duke of Chandos (1674–1744) was an outstanding patron of the arts during the first half of the eighteenth century. Having acquired great wealth and influence as Paymaster-General of Queen Anne's forces abroad, Chandos commissioned work from leading artists, architects, poets and composers including Godfrey Kneller, William Talman, Sir John Vanbrugh, Sir James Thornhill, John Gay and George Frederick Handel. Despite his associations with such renowned figures, Chandos soon gained a reputation for tasteless extravagance. This reputation was not helped by the publication in 1731 of Alexander Pope's poem 'Of Taste' which was widely regarded as a satire upon Chandos and Cannons, the new house he was building near Edgware. The poem destroyed Chandos's reputation as a patron of the arts and ensured that he was remembered as a man lacking in taste.

Yet, as this book shows, such a judgement is plainly unfair when the Duke's patronage is considered in more depth and understood within the artistic context of his age. By investigating the patronage and collections of the Duke, through an examination of documentary sources and contemporary accounts, it is possible to paint a very different picture of the man. Rather than the epitome of bad taste described by his enemies, it is clear that Chandos was an enlightened patron who embraced new ideas, and strove to establish a taste for the Palladian in England, which was to define the Georgian era.


Reviews
'The marvels of Chandos's lost palace and scattered collections live again in this book. A fascinating portrait of an extravagant, contradictory figure and his times.' Simon Bradley, Editor, Pevsner Architectural Guides

'Susan Jenkins's brilliant and scholarly account of this parvenu prince of patrons sheds new light on almost every aspect of the extraordinarily rich culture of Augustan England.' Desmond Shawe-Taylor, Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures

Further Information
Illustrations: Includes 43 b&w illustrations
ISBN: 0 7546 4156 2
Publication Date: 05/2007
Number of Pages: 232 pages
Binding: Hardback
Book Size: 234 x 156 mm
British Library Reference: 700.9'2
Library of Congress Reference: 2006018633


About the Author/Editor




Dr. Susan Jenkins is the curator for Apsley house (home to the Dukes of Wellington) and is Senior Curator, Special Projects for English Heritage. She attended Cambridge University, London before receiving a Master's degree and a PhD from the Courtauld.

Jenkins started her career as a curator of Prints and Drawings at the V&A Museum before becoming Assistant Curator at Historic Royal Palaces. She also spent a year as a curator in the Decorative Arts department of the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles before joining the Compton Verney Gallery in Warwickshire as Director of Art, where she helped to establish a museum and exhibition program.

She is currently researching 19th-century collecting and writing a book on collecting in England. She is also working on a publication relating to the Duke of Wellington's collection at Apsley House.


www.ashgate.com

Empress in Residence: Somerset House Plays Host to Josephine's Famed Collection

François Gérard (1770-1837), Portrait of Josephine, 1801
Oil on canvas, 178 x 174 cm


France in Russia: Empress Josephine’s Malmaison Collection, on view at the Hermitage Rooms, Somerset House, London, from 28 June to 4 November 2007, celebrates one of France’s greatest heroines, Napoleon’s consort Josephine (1763-1814). The exhibition focuses on her role as a collector and patron of the arts and brings together some of the finest paintings, sculpture and decorative arts that she acquired for her château of Malmaison, now housed in The State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg. The exhibition also tells the remarkable story of this part of her collection’s journey from Paris to Russia in the wake of Napoleon’s defeat.

Rather than accept the standard view of Josephine as a frivolous lover of luxury, the exhibition puts her famed extravagance in context. She said of herself that she ‘was not born for such grandeur’ but imperial requirements forced upon her a lifestyle of great pomp and glamour. She was famously casual with money and Napoleon would say after her death that this was the only thing that caused them to argue. After her divorce from Napoleon (in December 1809) she was entitled to retain the title of Empress and continued to live like one, despite being unable to rely exclusively on state funds for her various architectural and collecting projects. Napoleon acknowledged Josephine’s role in the creation of Malmaison by giving her the château, its contents and its extensive grounds. By the time of her death, many bills had gone unpaid for years and her creditors were so numerous they had to be listed alphabetically. These aspects of Josephine’s character cannot be separated from an appreciation of her as one of the most important patrons and collectors of the age.


Empress Josephine as a Collector


Antonio Canova (1757-1822)
Dancer, 1806-12
Marble, 179cm high


The first room of the exhibition tells the story of Josephine’s collection, its development and display, as well as the dramatic circumstances surrounding some of her most notable acquisitions. Antonio Canova’s wonderfully evocative life-size marble sculpture, Dancer (1806-12), is a focal point of the display. The drapery of the figure’s fashionable, empire-waisted dress, the hairstyle and the coquettish pose all suggest this is a portrait of a modern woman. The Dancer is particularly significant as it was a commission for an original composition (rather than a version of a pre-existing design). It speaks clearly of Josephine’s sensitivity as a patron of Canova, which the sculptor appreciated greatly.



Claude Lorrain (1600-82), Landscape with Tobias and the Angel, 1663
Oil on canvas, 116 x 153.5 cm


Paulus Potter (1625-54), The Wolfhound, c.1650
Oil on canvas, 96.5 x 132 cm


Towards the end of 1806 Josephine received a remarkable collection of paintings from the famous gallery of the Landgraves (Electors) of Hesse-Cassel. In mid-October 1806, after their success at the Battle of Jena, Napoleon’s troops occupied the city of Cassel and discovered the city’s most celebrated paintings hidden in a hunting lodge. The general in charge, Général Lagrange, decided on his own initiative to send the collection directly to Josephine, justifying this on the grounds of the Empress’s ‘love of the arts’. The Cassel pictures formed the heart of Josephine’s collection and several important examples feature in the exhibition including Claude Lorrain’s magisterial Landscape with Tobias and the Angel from the four-part Times of Day series, and Gabriel Metsu’s exquisite cabinet picture, Breakfast. Josephine also actively collected paintings, for example purchasing Paulus Potter’s imposing Wolfhound in 1811. By then she had built a top-lit gallery at Malmaison in order to house her ever-growing collection: estimated at over 250 paintings in 1811 and 350 at the time of her death three years later. A summary catalogue was produced as an aid to the many visitors to the château (among them, the English collector William Beckford).


Empress Josephine at Home


Court dress of Empress Josephine, after 1810
Gauze embroidered with silver. Height: 115 cm
Musée National du Château de Malmaison
© Photo RMN © Gérard Blot


Josephine’s guiding spirit informed all aspects of Malmaison’s design and setting. The second room in the exhibition concentrates on the woman behind the collection. The central image is François Gérard’s celebrated portrait of her, which was originally on display at Malmaison. She is wearing one of her wonderfully sheer muslin dresses, and draped over it is an exotic indienne or shawl. A carelessly strewn bouquet of flowers on the seat next to her reminds the viewer of her keen interest in botany. The works in this section include a number of iconic images of Josephine and Napoleon and also personal effects belonging to the Empress on loan from the Musée du Château de Malmaison, including a silver-embroidered court dress and an exquisite écritoire (writing box) designed by the goldsmith Martin-Guillaume Biennais, as well as a selection of letters touching on subjects as diverse as the purchase of fine carriage horses from England and the care of her picture gallery and gardens.


Josephine as Patron of the Arts


Dessert Service: Bowl supported by caryatid figures, 1811-13
Dihl and Guérard, Paris
Porcelain; gilded and engraved on the gilding, 42 x 47 cm


Josephine’s great love was porcelain, and the highlight of the third room is the extraordinary porcelain dessert service that she commissioned to replace the old-fashioned service Napoleon had made for her at Sèvres (the Egyptian service which is now at Apsley House). This was the most expensive of all her porcelain commissions, comprising a staggering 213 pieces. Twenty-two pieces are on display including the most exceptional series of ‘picture plates’ (assiettes à tableaux) which reproduce paintings from her collection, for example Metsu’s Breakfast and Valentina of Milan by François Fleury Richard, one of Josephine’s favourite contemporary painters.


François Fleury Richard (1777-1852), Valentina of Milan, 1802
Oil on canvas, 55.1 x 43.2 cm


All the objects in this room can be identified in the inventory of Malmaison made after Josephine’s death. An example is the clock base in the form of a triumphal arch by the renowned Florentine mosaicist Giacomo Raffaelli, presented to Napoleon by Pope Pius VII in 1801 (at the time of the Concordat). The arch was placed on the mantelpiece in the Salon doré and opposite it, in the same room, was the remarkable console table with sphinx legs and sea-bed mosaic top by Jacob Desmalter, 1809, which was a diplomatic gift to Napoleon and also features in the exhibition.


The Fate of the Collection


The Gonzaga Cameo, featuring portraits of Ptolemy II and Arsinoe II
3rd century BC, Alexandria
Sardonyx, 15.7x11.8 cm.

The final room in the exhibition focuses on the personalities around Malmaison and the story of the collection’s dispersal. After Napoleon’s first abdication in the Spring of 1814 Josephine received visits from several leaders of the Allied countries, such as the Prussian King and Tsar Alexander I. The bond with the Russian court proved the strongest and most lasting of all. Alexander visited her family often and pledged his support to them. The Gonzaga Cameo, showing a double portrait of an emperor and his wife, is one of the masterpieces of the Hermitage. Josephine is thought to have given it to the Tsar at a special ball held in his honour just weeks before she died. In August 1815 Alexander negotiated the extraordinary purchase of 38 of Josephine’s finest paintings and, at no extra cost, of her four marble statues by Antonio Canova, Europe’s foremost sculptor at the time. The purchase, by most accounts totalling just under one million francs, helped Josephine’s children Eugène and Hortense de Beauharnais settle at least part of the huge debts they inherited from their mother.

The secret transfer of paintings from Malmaison to the Russian Embassy in Paris took place between late August and early September 1815 despite the fact that Malmaison was under British command and the Prussians were clamouring for restitution of the Cassel paintings. By early 1816, all 38 paintings and three of the four Canova statues were shown together in a dedicated room of the Imperial Hermitage. The display was known as ‘la collection de la Malmaison’ – a powerful riposte to Napoleon and his army’s infamous confiscations of works of art. It can also be seen as proof of Alexander’s admiration for the Empress’s taste and of his wish to honour her memory.


Portrait of Tsar Alexander I, tapestry
Gobelins, France, 1812-16
Wool and silk, 103 x 90 cm


Among the objects shown in the final room of the exhibition are pieces from the Egyptian dessert service offered by Napoleon to Alexander in 1804 (which Josephine so admired at the time), and a woven portrait of Alexander I made by the Manufacture des Gobelins. The portrait originally showed Napoleon but was changed mid-way to reflect the new political situation. This room will also introduce two other key figures in the Russian afterlife of the Malmaison collection: Alexander’s brother Tsar Nicholas I, who purchased a further group of Malmaison paintings from Josephine’s daughter Hortense in 1829; and Josephine’s son Eugène de Beauharnais, whose heir and son Maximilian married Tsar Nicholas I’s daughter. It was through this dynastic marriage that a large amount of further material from Josephine’s collections came to be in Russia (confiscated during the October Revolution of 1917, most of this entered the Hermitage soon thereafter).

France in Russia will be the first exhibition to bring together some of the most important elements of the Hermitage’s Malmaison collection, which is today displayed in various different departments of the museum. It will offer the most complete account to date of the history of this remarkable collection.

The exhibition is a collaboration between the Courtauld Institute of Art and The State Hermitage Museum, with additional loans from the Musée du Château de Malmaison. The catalogue comprises essays by Alexander Babin, Curator of 19th century Paintings at The State Hermitage Museum; Bernard Chevallier, Director of the Musée National des Châteaux de Malmaison et Bois-Préau; Alexandra Gerstein, Curator of Sculpture and Decorative Arts at the Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery; and Tamara Rappe, Head of European Decorative Arts at The State Hermitage Museum.

www.hermitagerooms.org.uk

Modern Alchemy

Like a rare orchid, a bracelet design fascinates.


The jewelry designs of Berlin-based artist Ulrike Hamm are almost indescribable. They're at once naturalistic and futuristic, and certainly keep one guessing as to the material.

Educated at the Lehrwerkstatt der Gold-und Silberschmiede-Innung in Hamburg, the Universität der Künste in Berlin and the Fachhochschule für Gestaltung in Pforzheim, Hamm is trained in the venerable tradition of Renaissance goldsmiths, though her work defies historicism in all respects but her incredible technical skill. The "stubborn, mysterious... and unpredictable" medium she has chosen? Parchment.







To find each piece of parchment requires hours of sorting through skins, followed by hours of clever experimentation with its surface. Like a medieval alchemist, Hamm transforms a common material into precious ornament.

“Various influences such as heat, cold, moisture or acidity bring parchment to its mechanical limits," she explains. "I develop three-dimensional forms out of a flat surface and test different dying and printing techniques on it. I dye pre-cut parts in various stages in a colour bath, and while they are still elastic I shape and assemble them into jewelry." Adding that "the parchment shrinks during the drying process and shapes itself according to its inherent growing patterns."






For Hamm, the delight is in the process, the curious and playful interaction of a material's natural tendencies with an artist's manipulation. .. and just how willing it is to let her interfere.







www.anmut-kuehnheit.de