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| modified for this posting from a more detailed engraving by Wenceslas Hollar, 1600s |
The Pompeians used the griffin in their murals, but this mythical creature goes back thousands of years, to India, Assyria and Persia.
I'm starting the posting with this 17th-century engraving because it's true to what a griffin should look like. The creature is basically the combination of an eagle and a lion. The head and front of the body — including the front legs and wings — are represented by an eagle. In addition, the eagle head features long ears that are sometimes feathered. The rest of the body belongs to a lion. Altogether, the creature symbolizes strength and wisdom. Because the griffin traditionally guards treasure, he also symbolizes vengeance; I think he's perfect for my home security.
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| Mark D. Ruffner, 2014 |
The griffin is going to be at the end of the entablature,
so that he can survey the entire structure.
I begin the painting by putting down a flat color, either a middle tone or the prevailing color. Note that I am conscious of making the griffin's base equal to the capital's cap, and that together they form a square. I have two goals here — first, to have elements align so that as the composition becomes more and more complex, the eye unconsciously recognizes order. And second, though the griffin rests atop the entablature, there is a sense that he's also atop a column, not unlike the winged lion of Venice, below.
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Here's the finished griffin. His front legs are from a lion and he doesn't look particularly vengeful, but I'm confident that he'll still be an effective guardian.
Next week we'll start working inside those auburn panels, and the room will take a big step towards looking more Pompeian!
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Dear Mark, Now you're talking my language. I love Griffins...it's one of my most favorite creatures to paint. There must be hundreds of different versions of Griffins I have painted holding up coffee and tea mugs throughout the land.
ReplyDeleteYour Griffins (there will be 2 or 4 or more?) will have a much nobler position. Your idea of matching the base measurements to the column is brilliant.
Dear Gina,
DeleteI do know how much you love griffins, and I've enjoyed seeing them on your tiles, drawstrings and even your header! I love them too, but there will be only one griffin in the mural. Of course there are the griffins of my hallway overdoor, and on my desk I have at least one more griffin that rests atop a porcelain box.
Dear Mark - The griffin makes the perfect statement to sit confidently on top of your entablature - a strong guardian for your home.
ReplyDeleteI am really enjoying seeing the different layers being added to your Pompeii mural and how each addition builds up more depth.
Coincidentally H is currently reading a book about Rome by J C Stobart and in it he describes the four phases of the frescoes at Pompeii. In the second phase, in the 1st century BC the painter imitates various forms of architectural treatment, dividing the wall space into panels, and portraying cornices, columns, pilasters etc exactly as you have done.
Dear Rosemary,
DeleteI am of course familiar with the four phases of Pompeian frescoes, and at some juncture of this project intend to talk about them. As H may have already discovered, the more one studies Pompeian frescoes, the more one notices that those phases had a way of overlapping, and so determining which style is which can be a little confusing. My reference books often ascribe two phases to the same fresco.
Hello Mark:
ReplyDeleteWe can well see how the griffin, whilst totally in line and indeed in keeping with the formality of the scheme, serves also to break up the rigidity of the overall decoration by introducing a shape and an element which together allow for a degree of freedom. In another sense, it allows the eye to pause, to relax and in this manner permits heightened awareness and thus greater contemplation of the whole.
We apologise that this is expressed badly but trust that you will have some sense of our meaning.
Hello, Jane and Lance:
DeleteI think you have expressed quite well my intention, which was to add an element that complemented the structure of columns and entablature, while also breaking up the rigidity of those elements.
Dear Mark,
ReplyDeleteGoodness me! What a wonderful time you must be having! I would gladly stand by holding your paint pot and watching you work. I would make sure there was plenty of tea (or coffee, or mint juleps) and cake too.
Being an avid fan of things pompeiian I am really enjoying this series of posts.
Bye for now
Kirk
Dear Kirk,
DeleteYou would be most welcome to attend a painting session. I would provide a comfortable chair so that you could oversee the work, and there would be a gentle melody playing in the background, possibly "San" by the German flutist Deuter. I would take you up on your offer to keep the coffee coming, and if you would be so kind, I'd appreciate any one of your delicious tart creations.
It sounds like a lovely idea - petit fours I think will be the order of the day. Will there be a comfy stool for me to sit on - or perhaps a deck chair? If I remember correctly, flutists were often employed to play while artists worked in ancient Rome.
DeleteA comfortable chair and petit fours — sounds great! Do you actually make petit fours, Kirk?
DeleteNot only has this been a fantastic decorative arts lesson, it is an art history lesson as well! I do love the vigilant griffin. Have you ever been to Perugia? Their symbol is the Griffin and it is everywhere.
ReplyDeleteDear Theresa,
DeleteAlas, I have never been to Perugia. Eight years ago I flew to Italy for a week with my friend Sandy, and we opted to spend the entire time in Florence, with one day-trip to Sienna. While I would love to see more of Italy, I was really happy to concentrate that week on Florence, and to experience it more fully.
Not severe, but proud. I think your griffin is very elegant, and it's fascinating to be allowed to know your thinking on how you scale these, (the square).
ReplyDeleteI wonder why hybrid creatures were created - sphinxes, centaurs etc.
Dear Columnist,
DeleteI have an answer for you that I think you'll enjoy, and it comes from historian and folklore expert Adrienne Mayor, via gods-and-monsters.com. I quote from the site:
"She points to several fossil findings of the pentacertops — a dinosaur from the Cretaceous period — that were located near known gold veins as being influential in the belief of griffins. The pentaceratops had a beaked face with a four-legged body. Anyone digging for gold in an area with these bones would find a creature whose bones looked very much like what one would imagine a griffin's bones to look like located near their gold vein. From there it's not hard to figure out why people would imagine a griffin looking as it does and being known for digging and hoarding gold."
Thanks for that question, and I hope you enjoyed that discovery as much as I did!
Hi Mark, I love your depiction of the griffin. There is a certain dignity, even hauteur, in it, which is entirely appropriate to its assigned function.
ReplyDeleteIn each depiction of the griffin you presented here, the tail is in a different position. Is there any significance to this, design or otherwise?
--Jim
Hi, Jim,
DeleteI like your choice of the word "hauteur," and I suppose that hauteur can be its own vengence under certain circumstances!
The position of the tail has no significance other than what I thought might be a balanced composition, but now that I look at it anew, I see that I might have been influenced by a typographic sense.
Mark,
ReplyDeleteThat's great! I love how his wings repeat the pattern in the column capital.
Thanks, Steve — you have a great eye for detail.
DeleteWhat a room for dreams, Mark. Maybe not meant as such, but still a place of great inspiration in itself. You've been inspired by history, art and design and we've gotten inspired by your wonderful work. The griffin guarding your home looks as if he's on guard. Beautifully done, Mark. As always. Can't wait to see the finished room but in the meantime, I like the way you're outlining everything for us step by step. I'm wondering if you've thought of some sort of book - maybe Workman Publishing might be a place to show this to?
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words, Yvette. I have not thought of a book, but your comment certainly makes me want to brush up on Workman Publishing — I have to admit that I'm not familiar with it. Thanks again for being so supportive!
DeleteI just visited their site — yes, of course I'm familiar with them!
DeleteIt was a big deal here in Virginia when the College of William and Mary selected the griffin as their team mascot. His color scheme is decidedly un-Pompeiian however.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wm.edu/about/mascot/
Hi, Barbara,
DeleteI took a look at the new William and Mary griffin mascot, and I would say he looks more cuddly than intimidating, but I suppose a mascot must be one or the other . . .