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| Mark D. Ruffner |
This week I'm in New York City, visiting my friends Yvonne and Chris, and collecting Pompeian reference from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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| metropolitan-museum-ny.com |
The Met is such a treasure to behold from the outside — and from the very moment one walks through the door. The photograph below doesn't do justice to the lobby's dramatic weekly floral arrangements.
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| Mark D. Ruffner |
My primary mission is to look first-hand at Pompeian fresco details, but
I'll photograph anything from antiquity that might be useful to the
mural. (Incidentally, photography is permitted throughout the museum
because digital cameras allow for great images without the use of
flash.)
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| click to enlarge | The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Spring 2010 |
I had seen these panels from the home of P. Fannius Synistor many times, but I wanted to study them in person. These are the very same panels that inspired my unusual column design.
The vibrant color in the panels is amazing, especially considering their age. On one hand, it's a shame that so many pieces of fine art were removed from their sites in Pompeii, but on the other hand, it should be noted that many of the murals that have remained there are degrading at a rapid rate.
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| Mark D. Ruffner |
I like this doorway for its stylized marble, and for those inset panels that have a pure Art Deco look.
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| Mark D. Ruffner |
The surface of this image is actually darker than the photograph shows — we're getting some reflection here. But I love the simplicity of the image and the character of the bird. Looking at this, one might wonder whether such Pompeian images influenced the later macro-mosaics of Florence, below.
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| eBay |
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| Mark D. Ruffner |
I'm making a record of some of the Pompeian borders. Note that they're very flat at close range, but quite 3-dimensional at a distance.
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| Mark D. Ruffner |
Another good border, and I like those panels at the bottom of the image — expect to see those incorporated into my own room. Now look to the center of the image, at the white decorations that are acting as supports.
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| Mark D. Ruffner |
Those are a decoration the Pompeians borrowed from Greek design. Occasionally, the bottom "limbs" are fish tails, but more often they are represented as Acanthus leaves.
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| Mark D. Ruffner |
The Pompeian artists created fluted columns with believable shading by simply painting solid vertical lines in analogous color combinations.
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| Mark D. Ruffner |
Moving to the Greek and Roman galleries, I came upon this fragment and fell in love with the tremendous attitude expressed here.
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| Mark D. Ruffner |
I view museums, galleries and sometimes even retail stores as catalogs for ideas and reference. I'm often gleaning details that I can put to later use. Here, though the torso was lovely, I documented the expressive hand and the folds of drapery.
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| Mark D. Ruffner |
I made a mental note that eagles can rest atop garlands, and garlands can hang from the horns of rams. Look at the eye of the ram on the right. Sheep and goats have such strange eyes, and the sculptor captured the expression perfectly, don't you think?
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| Mark D. Ruffner |
Here's a satyr from the underside of a huge urn. Have you ever known anyone that mischievous? I have.
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| Mark D. Ruffner |
In another part of the museum I recorded paintings with metal reflections. I could have used this when I was painting the clipeus!
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| Mark D. Ruffner |
It's worth a trip to the armory gallery just to see the helmets! This beauty dates from the 1500s. Surely it was only used for triumphal processions — I'd hate to see that get dented!
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| Mark D. Ruffner |
This is a composite photograph of three halberds. I thought it was interesting that all three had tassels and hobnail patterns.
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| Mark D. Ruffner |
My reference collection isn't restricted to the Metropolitan; walking the streets of New York, I photographed this handsome architectural detail. I can use that for the base of my own mural columns.
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| Mark D. Ruffner |
Likewise, this carved border is wonderful reference.
Next week, I'll start incorporating some of my finds
into the Pompeii Room.
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Hope you are enjoying NYC!! Thanks for taking us with you to the Met - one of my all time favs! And I hope you'll incorporate a bird or two in the mural :)
ReplyDeleteHi, Loi,
DeleteNew York is a bit of a trip from Florida, but these days I try to make the trip at least every two years. Of course it helps to have friends who can help you navigate the city and show off some of their own favorite spots. I promise to incorporate at least one bird into the mural.
Dear Mark - I love the rams with the garlands hanging from their horns - is it a tomb?
ReplyDeleteMy granddaughter is heavily into Pompeii at the moment and is reading Mary Beard's book - Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town, which you might find of interest when you have finished all your research and Pompeii room. She will be visiting Pompeii on her "Grand Tour" this summer.
Dear Rosemary,
DeleteI believe that this block (with the rams heads was an altar.
Your granddaughter is so lucky to be taking the Grand Tour this summer. In my teen years, I was lucky to see much of the Far East, and it gave me some valuable perspectives. I'm also glad to have seen that part of the world as it was undergoing great change, and I have memories of so many things that have gone by the way.
Hi Mark, There is so much value in being able to visit original artwork. It's amazing how much clearer and more colorful your in-person photos are than those from some of the printed sources. Your efforts that these inspired would do the Pompeian artists proud.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, do you think that expressive hand on the statue is an 18th century restoration? I can hardly wait to see how these latest finds will be incorporated into your project.
--Jim
Hi, Jim,
DeleteThank you as always for your supportive words. I am in awe of the Pompeian artists, who — we should remember — were painting frescoes as plaster dried. They had to be good because there probably weren't second chances, and they had to be organized and decisive. One of the things that's impressed me while at the Met is that the surfaces of the Pompeian frescoes are highly polished, which is somethiing that doesn't translate in photographs.
Now that you mention it, that had does look alien to the rest of the statue!
Dear Mark, Thank you for these beautiful photographs. I know that there is a lot of beautiful art to choose from at the Met. What makes your post so special is that you see objects with the artist's eye. You have chosen the best of the best to share with us.
ReplyDeleteDear Gina,
ReplyDeleteI spent two full days at the Met and never touched whole sections of it! But as is true of all my travels, I would rather concentrate on several areas than skim over many. In my next visit to New York, I will want to visit the Met's Asian galleries and spend more time in the American Wing.
One of my most 'ah hah" moments was visiting the Met and seeing the Pompeii frescoes for real....I had studied them for years but seeing them was very moving. I am so glad you are creating this special room for your house and letting us come along for the ride!
ReplyDeleteDear Theresa,
Delete. . . and the room was inspired by both a bulletin of the Metropolitan Pompeian frescoes, and a book on Carlo Marchiori's Ca'Toga, both of which you've visited! Thanks so much for enjoying this project! There's much more to come.
Mark I'm thrilled you shared your trip to the Met and you've inspired me to go the museum myself. You came all the way from Florida and I'm just 50 miles west of the city and I'm always bemoaning the 'long' bus trip. Ha. I've been meaning to go and spend the day but always seem to find an excuse to postpone the trip. This year for sure. I've made up my mind. Thanks for the kick in the pants. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso thanks for sharing the beauty of your visit. I do think, you know, that it's proper for museums to keep architectural art, sculpture, etc, that is being allowed to go to rack and ruin on site. Art has to be preserved. At least in my humble opinion.Far as I'm concerned, museums are the last bastions of civilization. And libraries, of course. Are you going to the Morgan this trip?
Hello, Yvette,
DeleteYou are so very lucky to be that close to the Metropolitan Museum of Art!! Now that you have two grandchildren at very formative ages, perhaps you can find an excellent reason to visit there, and introduce them to so much awe-inspiring beauty. As I mentioned in an earlier posting, my grandfather took me to the National Gallery often when I was about four, and I still have memories of specific images that impressed me. It's really amazing how much we take in and retain at so early an age.
And I am on the same page concerning decaying art needing to be removed from their sites in order to be preserved.
My trip is also a social visit with dear friends, so I the Morgan is not on the agenda. But I'm glad you mentioned it; I'll put it on the list for the next trip!
Dear Mark, Will there be rams? Pretty please. I think we need rams. So enjoyed today's instructive tour of the Met. -- Barbara
ReplyDeleteDear Barbara,
DeleteI will be fitting in one very small ram, and you might even guess how he fits in by my next posting.
Dear Mark,
ReplyDeleteSo that's where you went!
I have had the pleasure of going to the Met once - and I loved it although we didn't see a quarter of it - which means we will have to visit again one day. AGA was over the moon to see four Vermeer paintings in one room (he is a huge Vermeer fan).
Thank you for taking us on this tour with you: I too like the 'attitude' on that fragment there is a look of distain in his eye as he views that Caduceus…
Kirk
PS
Are you going to incorporate that satyr's face anywhere? I think he is begging to be included!
Dear Kirk,
DeleteI think one would have to have at least three days to do the Met justice; I spent two days and didn’t see everything, but then I was photographing certain areas with specific intentions. I look forward to going back.
AGA might know this already, but there's a movie that's recently released called "Tim's Vermeer." It's a documentary about a Texas inventor who has possibly figured out out how Vermeer made such photographic paintings. He spent years setting up the experiment, and it looks fascinating. You can easily find information on "Tim's Vermeer" by googling.
Will I use a satyr? I hadn't planned one for the Pompeii Room, which is going to develop a couple of themes, but you've got me wondering where I could fit one in. Hmmm.
I have that on my watch list, but I did watch "Vermeer: Light, Love and Silence" (1997) a couple of nights ago, which was fascinating.
DeleteI can't remember what we went to see when we visited The Met, many eons ago; I have a feeling lunch was the main order of the day, with the culture an add on...not my choice, but the couple we were visiting in Manhattan.
I have read an article on "Tim's Vermeer' and seen a trailer for it, and it looks to be an interesting movie, not just because Tim may have figured out how Vermeer worked, but also because it chronicles the incredible care he took to recreate a Vermeer room setting.
DeleteI just watched the trailer. I always thought he used a camera obscura but it looks as though they are proposing that he used something different. Very interesting but like you, I am also fascinated by his complex recreation of the studio.
DeleteI do hope that satyr gets a 'look in'!
I watched "Tim's Vermeer" last night (Part I, which I think is sufficient, although you might enjoy the detail of the subsequent 5 parts). It is excellent, and I do recommend.
DeleteThanks for that recommendation, Columnist. I'm guessing it's interesting if for no other reason than to see the extent to which a person follows his passion.
DeleteThe Met is such a great resource an equivalent of which is sadly lacking here. I shall look forward to sating my appetite with London's similar offerings when we're there in the summer.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could come along. My bucket list includes the Tate and the Victoria & Albert. And I'd love to visit Sir John Soane's Museum.
Delete