After I finished Diana's portrait, I knew that it should be complemented with an appropriate antique frame, and I did quite a bit of research on that subject. In my meanderings, I came upon the work of Giulio Clovio, an artist and advisor to Cardinal Farnese for some 40 years.
 | |
| The Renaissance | Charles McCorquodale |
 |
| click to enlarge |
It was Clovio's magnum opus.
 |
| Another section of the Farnese Hours | croatia.org |
 |
| The Renaissance | Charles McCorquodale |
Giulio Clovis became a close friend of El Greco, who painted this portrait of Clovio with his famous book.
 |
| click to enlarge |
I was tickled that a painting from the Palazzo Farnese should be married to a frame that is also a part of the Farnese history, a nice bit of serendipity. As you can see, I modified my frame to look a tad more Neoclassic and a little less Baroque.
At the bottom of the frame, I've added a plaque with Annibale Carracci's initials. Wherever he is, I hope he's happy.
In my next posting, we'll figure out a way to hang the painting.
I hope you'll join me then.
.
Hello Mark, What a clever inspiration to frame your painting, and I think that your version of the frame might even be a little handsomer than Clovio's version, and definitely fitting your and Carracci's masterpiece. The original Farnese Hours are in the Morgan Library in New York, so your next trip there I hope that you can examine them.
ReplyDelete--Jim
PS This month's button also has a handsome dash to it--are those marcasites riveted along the rim?
Hello, Jim,
DeleteI was not aware that the Morgan Library owned the Farnese Hours. My trips to new York have usually been in the 4-day range. I haven't gotten to the Morgan Library yet, but will make an effort next time (and I'm sure I'll be inspired there, too!).
The marcasites on this month's button are indeed riveted, but perhaps not technically so. Your question lead me to examine the many 19th-century buttons that have marcasites, and they were all uniformly trimmed even with the back of the button. That is to say that there is no lip for grasping the reverse side of the button, which explains why marcasites are sometimes missing from the buttons.
Dear Mark - I agree with Jim that your frame is more handsome than Clovio's version, but he must be given credit for inspiring you - the final image is lovely, and I would very happily give it wall space in my home.
ReplyDeleteDear Rosemary,
DeleteThank you for the compliment! Clovio was inspiring. I have not seen a lot of images of the Farnese Hours, but it is apparent that the spreads varied greatly in design. Doubtlessly that made his working process more interesting for himself, and I can imagine that for the cardinal, flipping the pages was one delightful surprise after another.
Mark a beautiful addition to highlight the importance of your paintings! The more Neo-classic design is perfect!
ReplyDeletePS yes Hunt Slonem has stunning wallcoverings and fabrics through Lee Jofa!
xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Hello, Karena,
DeleteI'm conscious that the Carracci Wall, as I call it, is straying a bit from the original Pompeian influence, so I didn't want to get into the Baroque.
Regarding Hunt Slonem, I'm always intrigued by artists who can take one statement and extend it into a career, as he has . . .
Dear Mark, The always difficult part of choosing details from an existing design, is to make the decision on "what to leave out". And then, of course, is the matter of difficulty in executing it well. You have succeeded on all fronts.
ReplyDeleteDear Gina,
DeleteI do think in this case that less is more. I had thought originally of keeping Clovio's cherub head at the bottom of the frame, and incorporating my own childhood face (which would have been a lot of fun), but in the end, knew that it would just be a distraction from the Diana painting.
Hello Mark. The idea of incorporating your own childhood face somewhere in this endeavor is a brilliant one. Didn't some of the great painters of the past occasionally sneak themselves into a scene? I so enjoyed the portrait of Clovio point proudly at his book.
ReplyDeleteHello, Barbara,
DeleteI've always enjoyed it when famous artists slip themselves into the background of their paintings, especially in a crowd scene. It's the same pleasure as seeing Alfred Hitchcock wander through one of his own movies. Several years ago, I did a posting on Renaissance artists who did that — you can find it here:
http://allthingsruffnerian.blogspot.com/2012/07/cameo-apperances-in-paint.html