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| Ca'Toga | Carlo Marchiori | Ten Speed Press |
In this posting, I'm going to share images of several rooms that have been an inspiration for the creation of my Pompeian dining room.
Carlo Marchiori's Pompeian room at Ca'Toga (above) is a masterpiece of Pompeian imagery. Not only is it a technical tour de force, but it shows his complete immersion in the history and symbolism of Pompeian times. The bright reds and stark blacks that we've come to associate with Pompeii can be found in many villas there, most notably in the Villa of the Mysteries.
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| Alan Dodd | Grand Illusions | Phaidon |
Long before I discovered Carlo Marchiori, I was inspired by this cool, elegant Greek room. It was painted by Alan Dodd in the early 1980s. I think the combination of creamy colors with that pastel green is a large part of its attraction, and note that the wainscoting is a subtle complementary green.
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| Pompeii | Coarelli | Riverside |
In fact, what I think of as a painted wainscoting is a Pompeian design element that I want to incorporate into my own room. Above is an image from the House of the Vettii, in Pompeii. What a gorgeous color scheme!
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| Antiques in Italian Interiors | Roberto Valeriani, Mario Ciampi | Verbavolant |
This room from Palazzo Milzetti, Fainza, Italy, is a little too busy for my taste, but I am
inspired by in awe of the detailing.
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| Antiques in Italian Interiors | Roberto Valeriani, Mario Ciampi | Verbavolant |
A close inspection (I got out my magnifying glass) reveals an artist who was so familiar with anatomy and other natural forms that his work appears to be akin to effortless sketching.
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| Neoclassicism in the North | Håkan Groth, Fritz von der Schulenburg | Rizzoli |
I would be very happy to inhabit this 1790s room, which was an inner salon belonging to Prince Fredrik Adolf of Sweden. But while I appreciate it's delicate refinement, I'm looking for a bigger color statement.
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| Neoclassicism in the North | Håkan Groth, Fritz von der Schulenburg | Rizzoli |
This gorgeous room also belonged to Prince Fredrik Adolf, though in a different castle. The late Duke of Devonshire had similar decoration in his private study at Chatsworth. It was his favorite room there, in part because it was also the smallest!
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| Antiques in Italian Interiors | Roberto Valeriani, Mario Ciampi | Verbavolant |
This room is not Pompeian, but the fantastic architectural construction has some of the feel of Pompeian mural decoration. It's from the Villa Godi (1537), one of Andrea Palladio's fist architectural designs. Appropriately, the figure sitting in the alcove is reputed to be the young Palladio.
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| Neoclassicism in the North | Håkan Groth, Fritz von der Schulenburg | Rizzoli |
The Grand Salon belonging to King Gustaf III of Sweden is considered by many to be the finest Pompeian-style room in Europe.
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| www.visitthecapitol.gov |
In the United States, one of the finest Pompeian rooms is the private meeting room of the Senate Appropriations Committee. It was painted in the 1850s by Constantino Brumidi, who was the artist also responsible for the decoration inside the Capitol dome.
Those are some of the many rooms I studied to draw inspiration for my own Pompeian room. In my next posting, I'll begin painting, but this would be a good time to pause and clarify two thoughts that are bound to cross your mind as you watch the progress of my room:
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Hello Mark:
ReplyDeleteThe rooms which you show truly are inspirational and whilst one may well prefer one over another, each is in its own way magnificent and awesome [we use the word for its original meaning and not in the way, so often, it is employed today].
We shall be fascinated to follow the progress of the redecoration of your dining room and are full of admiration that you are undertaking such a project. Of late we have been considering the use of trompe l'oeil in the upper part of our main hall, an idea we have long had.
Hello, Jane and Lance:
DeleteI have found that long-held ideas often go through wonderful mental refinements, and possibly that is true for your project, as well. I know that my Pompeii Room has been an evolution, and I have to say that that's been half the fun!
Hello Mark, I notice that these Pompeian-type rooms are characterized by panels of classical ornament, and also by panels of color. Sometimes a richness is achieved by the use of jewel-tones such as blue, black or Pompeian red, and these rooms seem the most redolent of antiquity. Other rooms you show here achieve an airy or delicate look with lighter backgrounds.
ReplyDeleteSomehow a dining room seems the right place for the full-blown effect, and I am looking forward to seeing your take on this balance.
--Jim
Hello, Jim,
DeleteI am very attracted to the lighter, delicate interiors, but those are almost all the later recreations that we'd term Neoclassic. For my own room, I'm going to go for the bolder color that is associated with the original Pompeian ruins. I'm also going to depart from the handsome red and black color scheme that is so iconic.
Dear Mark - I did not realise that the room was actually a work in progress as we view.
ReplyDeleteI am full of admiration for you taking on such a monumental task, but having seen previous results of your labours know that it will be a tour de force.
A Pompeian Room I greatly admire is at Ickworth House, in Suffolk.
You can view here if you are interested, and it is worth clicking on to the image.
http://www.artfund.org/what-to-see/museums-and-galleries/ickworth-house-park-and-gardens
I like the use of various shades of terracotta, black and grey, but the resulting scheme is subtle and harmonious.
Dear Rosemary,
DeleteI visited the Ickworth site and enjoyed that scheme which is, as you say, subtle and harmonious (and I was glad that the image could be enlarged for closer scrutiny). My own color scheme, which I'll discuss in the next posting, will be less subtle, but it will nonetheless be harmonious (I hope)!
This will be fun to watch, Mark. And how cool is that light in the Alan Dodd room?
ReplyDeleteHi, Steve,
DeleteI would love to have the lamp that's in the Alan Dodd room, though it would need to be electrified. The light source in my own room is not very direct.
Hello Mark,
ReplyDeleteThe anticipation builds!!! I adore the rooms you've shown-- all of the history, pattern, color-- I can see why they inspire you. I think you may have to commission a portrait bust to sit in the corner of your newly painted room... the perfect finishing touch!
Warm regards,
Erika
Hello, Erika,
DeleteThe room is so small that my primary consideration will be to find furniture that is light and that doesn't overpower the space!
Neoclassicism in the North is one of my favorite books. Archaeological discoveries at Pompeii had a significant influence on Sweden's Gustavian Period. Exciting project, Mark!
ReplyDeleteHi, Loi,
DeleteNeoclassicism of the North is another book that came to me as a gift, and it's been a big inspiration. In fact, you'll find my griffin overdoor from several postings back in that book.
Thanks, Mark. I do see the lovely Grecian inspiration room amongst the other gorgeous rooms. Thanks for the pointer.
ReplyDelete