Last week, I unveiled the finished left trophy, but I've actually been working on both trophies simultaneously.
Like the left trophy, the right trophy features a helmet that is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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| Metropolitan Museum of Art |
The helmet is called a
burgonet, a term that is derived from the word
Burgundy. This one is embossed steel and dates to between 1545 and 1550, and it was probably made in Milan, Italy. The Metropolitan rues the fact that early conservators polished a subtly engraved background pattern completely away!
I've mentioned that I like to use as much reference as possible, and when I was designing the trophies, I had a clear vision of heavily grained poles upon which to mount the paraphernalia. Where would such wood exist? I ended up photographing weathered telephone poles that face the Gulf of Mexico, near my neighborhood.
Moving down and behind the shield are a number of implements that are historically correct. (I have taken a little license with the baton in the form of a battering ram, if only because I wanted the pleasure of painting the ram's head!) The hand is the top of a Roman standard.
Unlike the shield of the left trophy, the design of this shield was never seen in Rome. Instead, I have borrowed the design of a cameo from the collection of Catherine the Great, below.
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| photo-illustration, Mark D. Ruffner | ancientrome.ru |
Looking at the collections of Catherine the Great, one quickly realizes what a discerning eye she had. She loved cameos, and especially jeweled ones, but it was her habit — one can clearly see by looking at her collection — to replace any jeweled frames with very simple ones. She evidently didn't want anything to detract from the artistry of the cameo itself.
The base of the right trophy complements, but is not identical to the left trophy.
Below is the finished Right Trophy Wall.
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| click to enlarge |
That panel on the right is looking quite bare now, don't you think? In the next week we'll figure out what to put there. I hope you'll join me then!
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Dear Mark - I have looked back at the previous post which I missed. I am so impressed with your work and how well it is progressing. I am particularly taken with the way the 3D areas are becoming subtly more dominant, and enjoyed the fact that you have introduced your local weathered telegraph poles into the scheme.
ReplyDeleteDear Rosemary,
DeleteThe 3-D elements against the flat backgrounds are typical of Pompeii — as you well know — and I think that on the original Pompeian walls, that had much to do with the short drying time that the artists had. As for the telephone poles, one never knows where great reference will turn up!
Hello Mark,
ReplyDeleteOnce again, we find ourselves in awe of the depth of research and the historical detailing of your work. This is, surely, becoming a labour of love.
We think that it is good to have the 'trophies' complementing each other without actually being the same. This adds interest and really does draw the eye in to pick out the similarities as well as the differences.
And now Catherine the Great enters the arena. A fight to the death with the Romans......
Hello, Jane and Lance,
DeleteThanks for your compliment! The Pompeii Room is indeed a labor of love, not just for Pompeii (which I hope to visit some day), but especially for the history of ornamental design. I own quite a few books that are historic encyclopedias of design. Just yesterday I picked up one on ornamental designs in architectural sheet metal, a c. 1900 building catalog.
Good morning, Mark. This is just so terrific. So much to love here especially the weathered telephone pole inspiration which I think was pure genius. And you know that I think the ram is the perfect touch!!! Hope you have a wonderful weekend. Barbara
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon, Barbara — you finally got your ram, though only a small one! The telephone poles registered in my mind long before the mural; I think they have such an incredible texture, sort of an industrial driftwood . . .
DeleteDear Mark, I know that that "empty" panel on the right already has a design on the drawing board. I keep thinking that soon you will say "enough". Maybe not. You are a most dedicated artist and your work is outstanding.
ReplyDeleteInspiration comes from the most unusual sources. Your telephone pole reminds me of the many patterns I have photographed of cracks in road surfaces. They mimic marble patterns.
Dear Gina,
DeleteI guarantee you that all of the panels will be very full before this project is finished, and that the Pompeii Room will be as complex a design as any Pompeian room that ever there was!
Thank you for mentioning road surface cracks in connection to marble designs! I will have to start paying more attention to road textures (but maybe not while I'm driving!).
Hello Mark, Sorry to be late to reply--I was en route to Ohio, and what a pleasant surprise to find this post waiting for my arrival. The right trophy is a perfect complement to the left one; I was particularity taken with the implements and standards behind the shield, and am still deciding whether the battering ram or the hand one is my favorite. In Taiwan, many temples have racks with these kinds of implements, including all kinds of strange ones, which are taken out for parades, but other times can be spotted against the walls.
ReplyDelete--Jim
Hello Jim, and welcome back to the U.S. of A.!
DeleteI can well imagine the unusual implements and totems that would be used for a parade on Taiwan!
I'm glad that you enjoy the battering ram batton and the hand standard because I gave a lot of consideration to both of them. My intent for introducing them was to create a greater diversity of shapes, rather than so many more pointy weapons. And the greater consideration was to have both trophies match at a glance, and yet be very different from each other.
I wish you a happy and safe visit!
Very handsome work, Mark! How interesting and unexpected to see Catherine the Great's influence here. And for the best weathered phone poles, come to Maine!
ReplyDeleteHi, Loi,
DeleteI can just picture those Maine telephone poles! (I spent childhood vacations in Maine and have a great fondness for it — in the summertime!
Catherine the Great collected much art and objects d'art that were Neoclassic, so I've spent a lot of time looking at her collections.
That blank area must be calling out to you, Mark. :) I'm wondering what you plan next. This room is going to be a show-piece, show-case, whatever you may want to call it. It will be a knock-out. Uniquely yours. I'm wondering if you'd looked at the work of Lawrence Alma-Tadema and maybe Jean Leon Gerome for additional inspiration.
ReplyDeleteWho would have ever imagined being inspired by telephone poles AND Catherine the Great. Fabulous.
Hello, Yvette,
DeleteI think Lawrence Alma-Tadema is closer to what I'm aiming for than Gerome, but the finished room will be more detailed (or at least more filled) than one of his interiors. Actually, most of my inspiration is coming from Renaissance interpretations of the Classic world.
The ram's head is beautiful and I adore the eagle.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Steve! I hope you're having an enjoyable 4th of July and 3-day weekend!
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