Cabinet of Curiosities

By Mary Jo Gibson

July 27, 2012

After weeks of struggle with computer issues, I am pleased to be back with a new Cabinet of Curiosities.  Realizing that banging my head on my desk wasn’t solving the problem, I decided to make an additional contribution to the economy of Dell and order a new laptop.  Now I can get back to what I enjoy doing the most, research and blogging.  Let us peruse what is in the hidden drawers of this week’s Cabinet.

I don’t care if the monkey is biting the maid, I am having my portrait painted.. shh

Queensland Art Gallery in Brisbane, Australia is hosting ‘Portrait of Spain: Masterpieces from the Prado‘ featuring masterworks by Velaquez, Goya, Melendez, El Greco and Ribera.  This spectacular painting belongs to Princess Isabella Clara Eugenia, eldest daughter of Philip II of Spain.  The full length portrait by Alonso Sanchez Coello was commissioned to immortalize one of the most important women of the Hapsburg dynasty.  And it shows, from the incredible period costume she wears, the jewelry on her hands, the cameo of her father held between her fingertips, all speak to the wealth of Spain during this period of history.

Kneeling beside the Princess is the family servant, Magdalena Ruiz; her appearance is part of a long tradition of portraits in which servants, pages, jesters and dwarfs appear with members of the royal family.  This painting is coded with the symbolism of power and conquest, at a time when the absolute belief in the rule and perpetuation of the monarchy was paramount.  Propaganda in art is evident all through history, but the monkeys?  That is really an over the top statement; nevermind that the Princess appears to be petting her servant’s head.

§

Virtual Tourism

This week, Andreas at TravelWriticus, wrote about his adventures touring the Bildean region of Austria.  Tempting pictures of local cuisine, numerous sights, and classes, all made for a virtual tour for the rest of us. He made latte art, distilled schnaps, and slept in a ‘haunted’ castle.   His photo of Salzburg set against the mountains is breathtaking; cue Julie Andrews and the Sound of Music.

§

Old Pictures, Treasure Waiting to be Discovered

Boxes of old family photos tend to hold interesting stories.  I received a small collection of old family pictures that I have spent many hours reviewing.  Each grouping tells a story of my family and their descendants, the places they lived and their daily activities.  I would caution anyone that is considering throwing out these historical items.  With a little research, donations can be made to appreciative historical societies.    What’s That Picture is a great blog with vintage photos, mysteries and discoveries all based on the photographs that someone once discarded.  There may be treasure hidden in those dusty boxes; I found a long forgotten Uncle, and a murder mystery worthy of my research efforts.

§

The Thirst for Intellectual Stimulation is Ubiquitous

The History Channel has been languishing in their recent programming, Swamp People, Ice Road Truckers, and every possible film clip of aliens created in a conspiracy theorists’ shed, just to mention a few of the disappointments.  I did find a nice addition to their website The History Channel Club featuring History Made Every Day.  The clips are short sound bites, but with some expansion, I think they can make this into a worthy project.  Why don’t they consult the Book of Days website for deeper content, is a question I would pose to their researchers.  History isn’t just about the current collective memory of your audience.

§

Vexed Man at The Getty Museum

How many artists over time have suffered with some kind of mental illness?  The number seems to be unbalanced in comparison with other lifestyle choices.  This bust is one of a series of 69 portrait busts produced in the last thirteen years of Franz Messerschmidt’s life while he was suffering from mental illness.  A contemporary wrote that the artist told him while making the character heads, his hope was to ward away the evil spirits that invaded his mind.

In an interesting aside, the Getty also holds in its collections “Irises” by Vincent Van Gogh, painted while residing in an asylum at Saint Remy, France.

§

Beautiful Libraries

Gazing around at the unruly collection of books scattered in many areas of my house, I wonder if they will ever end in a library like the ones depicted on Beautiful-Libraries.com, the showcase of some outstanding places where books live.  The English Country House Libraries page shares some spectacular photos; some just appear to be showplaces, while others look like a room that is truly being used for a purpose.

§

Google some Antarctic Streetviews to keep cool during the hot days

The huts and surrounding landscape of the great South Pole expedition of 1911-1912 can be viewed on the Atlantic magazine site, with interactive Google Streetview capability in the pictures.  I find it fascinating that these capsules of time are still intact, all the artifacts laid out on the tables to peruse.  Looking at the sunlight rooms, it seems unimaginable that the summer weather is 60 degrees below zero, the time when Google bravely ventured on their expedition.

§

The Harvard Museum of Natural History

Harvard University has an item or two that one would not expect to find in a Natural History Museum.  The institution houses a collection of 3,200 hand crafted glass models of flowering plants created between 1866 and 1936 by German glass artists Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka.  Not on display are 430 glass models of marine invertebrates, such as this glass model of a Portuguese man of war, which Harvard acquired in the late 19th century.  A collection such as this should be on display, at least on line, a unique contribution to natural history by disciplined glass artisans.

§

iPad App Feature

The Life of Art app has been taken to a new level at the Getty Museum.  Taking selected objects from the museum’s collection, and perceived in different ways.  Encouraging viewers to spend time in examination, understanding how they were made and functioned, why they were collected and how they are displayed.  For each item, the app provides historical notes and the ability to rotate the item on screen and see it from different angles.  The basic app can be used at any time, while visitors can use a special version that adds augmented reality features.  The goal is to learn whether these apps will encourage visitors to spend more time with pieces of art.  Myself, the only discouragement to viewing art for longer periods of time would be the hours of the museum, and maybe time constraints imposed by teenage impatience.

§

And in the last drawer…

Since the Olympics are taking place in London this year, there is no shortage of news concerning all things on the storied isle.  I managed to find an interesting video on YouTube discussing the City of London, as opposed to London itself.  Confused?  The witty piece reminded me why I appreciate their idiosyncrasies.

Extra bonus, in case you missed the opening ceremonies, the Queen and James Bond.

James Bond and the Queen

§

On this whirlwind of curiosities I have taken you to the South Pole, Australia, private libraries in England, Harvard University, Austria, California, London and the City of London. I don’t know about you, but I need a frappucino after all this virtual tourism! I hope you enjoyed my Cabinet of Curiosities, join me next Friday to see what I have collected. What unique things have you collected on your virtual tours?
Cheers,

Mary Jo

Museum Monday

Cluny Museum

Musee de Cluny

The Musee de Cluny, officially known as Musee National du Moyen (Museum of the Middle Ages) is located in Paris, France.  Displayed art includes a magnificent collection of medieval art in a 15^th century Gothic mansion.  As an added bonus, underneath the museum are the ruins of ancient Roman baths.  The building is a true relic of the continually changing landscape of the history of Paris.

Stepping into the courtyard onto cobblestones, the noise of the street melts away behind stone walls.  Time is suspended as the architecture of the hotel buildings surrounds you, every surface beckoning your glance with the discovery of some architectural adornment.  Treading across the stones into the medieval structure, you know this to be a special place, the history of past personages permeates the air.

The ruins of the Roman bath date from 200 AD.  The best preserved section is the Frigidarium (cold water bath), with ribbed vaulting resting on consoles evoking ships’ prows.  This unusual motif is explained by the builders of the bathes, who were Paris’ boatmen.  On display is “Pillar of the Boatmen” a column dedicated to Jupiter from 1^st century AD.  It was found beneath Notre Dame’s chancel and is believed to be the oldest sculpture created in Paris.

The building was founded by the rich and powerful 15^th century abbot of Cluny Abbey, Jacques d’Amboise, who constructed his mansion over the ruins.  The Hotel de Cluny hosted other notable residents including Mary Tudor, widow of Louis XII, beginning in 1515.  Seventeenth century occupants included several papal nuncios, including Mazarin.  It was used as an observatory by astronomer Charles Messier, who published his observations in 1771.  The building was seized during the French Revolution; at one point a physician used the magnificent chapel on the first floor as a dissection room; eventually being taken over by Alexandre du Sommerard, an amateur art collector who was fascinated with the Middle Ages.  After his death in 1842, the government bought the building and his collection.

The museum is entered through the cobble stoned Court of Honor, which is separated from the street by high walls and surrounded on the other three sides by the wings of the Hotel.  The exterior of the flamboyant Gothic building includes  many symbols of the Abbot of Cluny’s power, from the crenelated walls to the carved Burgundian grapes.  The scallop-shells on the facade symbolize the great Camino de Santiago’s pilgrimage route, which once began just around the corner and was overseen by the Abbey of Cluny.

The most famous attraction of the Musee de Cluny is the Lady and the Unicorn tapestry, the most acclaimed of its kind.  The six scenes, which cover the walls of the entire viewing room, bring to life romance in the age of chivalry.  The tapestry was designed by French artisans and woven in 1485-1500 in Flanders.  It was discovered in 1841 by Prosper Merimee in Boussac Castle and acquired by the museum in 1882.  Each of the six scenes includes a beautiful lady, a unicorn and a lion.  The animals wear heraldry that identifies the sponsor of the work as Jean Le Viste, a powerful nobleman close to King Charles VII (1422-61).  The backgrounds are filled with woodland creatures, plants and flowers, creating an enchanted landscape.

Five of the scenes illustrated the five senses; sight, touch, taste, smell and sound.  The sixth scene belongs either at the beginning or the end of the series, and is especially beautiful and intriguing.  It is labeled with a banner reading, “to my only desire” and shows the lady placing a necklace in a case held by a servant.

The museum has two exhibition levels above the Roman baths.  The ground floor contains the Tapestry of St. Peter; alabaster plaques from Nottingham; stained glass; the gate of Pierre de Montreuil; and sculptures from Notre Dome Cathedral.  The first floor has the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries; golden Visigoth crowns; choir stalls from Beauvais; the Book of Hours; and the tapestry legend of St. Stephen.

The online collections cover Antiquity to the early Middle Ages; the Romanesque world; Gothic sculpture; paintings, miniatures and stained glass; goldsmith’s work and ivory; tapestries, fabrics and embroideries; everyday life; and loans.

Headless Gallery:

The king’s gallery of statues originally beheaded during the revolution by the citizenry; they were mistaken as statues of royalty, but were the apostles; buried in the basement of the Banque de France, and rediscovered about 15 years ago.

Stall support: Pig Playing the Organ; Beauvais, 15^th century

This support is the underside of a stall leaf for monks to surreptitiously lean on during services while maintaining the appearance of standing straight.  Part of a series of carvings displaying observations from daily life, the sculptor’s imagination in this clownish series exemplifies his wit.

Host mold: France, second half of the 13^th century

Metal molds have been in use to produce the hosts needed for the Eucharist since the 9^th century.  They made of two plates fitted to pliers-like articulated stems.  More common were rectangular plates that allowed cooking many hosts at a time.  The most beautiful molds are engraved with a lightly embossed design.  On one surface of this mold, Christ amidst his twelve apostles, reveals his wounds; on the other, Christ delivering a benediction, framed by scenes of his life.

Stained glass chess game

The game of chess as a metaphor for the ritual of love permeated the culture of the late Middle Ages, both in literature and in the visual arts.  The museum collection contains the most attractive example of this fad in a 15^th century stained glass work.  This ancient, secular stained glass piece shows the art of living as a cultivated elite of the day.  The players wear elegant clothing and extravagant headpieces, as was fashionable in the 15^th century.  The lady is draped in a long gown edged in fur.  The top of her forehead is shaved, in the manner of elegant ladies at the beginning of the 15^th century, and her bicornate hairstyle was known as “split bread”.  Her partner’s headgear is a magnificent chaperon that forms a sort of turban on his head.  Grisaille and silver stain, two techniques marking the preference for painting on glass, this remarkable workmanship has made it one of the best examples of mid-15^th century art in Lyon.

The gold rose in the Cluny museum is the oldest in conservation.  Gold roses are noted in records dating back to the 11^th century.  Hundreds of gold roses created in the Middle Ages as symbols of favor, only three have survived the march of time.  The gold rose ceremony has remained virtually unchanged through the centuries.  Every year on the fourth Sunday of Lent, known as Laetare Sunday, the Pope would offer a gold rose to an important figure whose faith he wanted to proclaim.  This rose is identified by the recipient’s arms, which are added to the foot of the pierce.  Pope John XXII gave it to Rodophe III of Nidau, Count of Neuchatel.  The count had supported the Pope in his terrible battle against emperor Louis of Bavaria.  In addition, the papal books, well preserved from the period when the pontiff resided at Avignon, identify the goldsmith commissioned for this work.  Minucchio is one of many Sienia artists who turned 14^th century Avignon into an artistic melting pot.

The Cluny Museum has a history of exhibitions that highlight the everyday life of the Middle Ages, continuing back to the Roman origins of the area.  ‘The Bath and the Mirror’ from 2009, sponsored by the L’Oreal Corporation highlighted the reopening of the Frigidarium after restoration, demonstrating the importance of cosmetics and body care in antiquity, chemical analysis of ancient cosmetics was provided by the L’Oreal Laboratories.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Take a look at the street view on Google Maps of the Cluny Museum, great photos of the inner courtyard with 360 degree views.  It truly is a wondrous place, you can almost hear the footfalls on the cobblestones.

I would like to thank Debra Eve at Later Bloomer for the suggestion of the Musee de Cluny.  It was wonderful going to such an interesting museum with so much history.

I will return on Friday with a new Cabinet of Curiosities featuring Alexandre du Sommerard!  Until then,

Cheers!

MJ