Heraldry: l'Archiginnasio di Bologna

In which we see the decoration as a message from history.

Heraldry illuminates a stairway of the Archiginnasio, Bologna

The spectacular Palazzo Archiginnasio was built in 1563, to a design by architect Antonio Morandi, as the main campus of the venerable University of Bologna. It houses a world-famous Baroque anatomy theater and since the 1830s has been used as the civic library, preserving a vast collection of antique and modern manuscripts and rare books.  I finally got a chance to visit this winter!

* Central courtyard and loggia of the Archiginnasio  (photo)

What makes this impressive place a destination for the Ornamentalist is the heraldic decoration! Presented in every conceivable manner, the walls and ceiling vaults are encrusted with heraldic arms, which were added continuously until the late 18th century.  Some 6,000 coats of arms commemorate past students, alongside memorials to illustrious  teachers, noble patrons, and church affiliations.

enclosed gallery of the Archiginnasio with the coats of arms of past students

These heraldic devices are more than a brilliant form of decoration, they emphasize the history and international prestige of the academic institution, while their inscriptions and mottos inspire intellectual and moral elevation.  

Stairway of the Artisti, Palazzo Archiginnasio

Two grand staircases lead to the lecture halls of the upper level, which was divided between two schools: one for the Legisti (students of civil and canon law) and the other for the Artisti  (students of philosophy, literature and medicine.)  A dizzying collection of arms covers the walls and ceilings.
The honor of displaying a crest was reserved for those students elected as heads of the nationes (student organizations.) These escutcheons or coats of arms indicate the home country or city of the student, along with the student's name.

Up the stairway of the Legisti, and the Lion of Venice

The antique lecture halls were converted in the early 19th century with rows of bookcases, and now preserve the most important books of the library.  The initial collection came from the closure of the religious orders made by Napoleon. Currently this archive contains over 850,000 volumes and pamphlets including 2,000 incunabula (pre-1501 printed editions); 15,000 editions from the 16th century;  8,500 manuscripts; letters and collections of autographs; as well as prints, drawings, maps, and other materials of immense historical importance.

Sala Rusconi, a former lecture hall, begins an enfilade of library stacks full of rare and important texts.

plaster plaques with more coats of arms hang like fringe around a memorial

Parts of the palace, including the anatomy theatre, were destroyed by a bomb in WWII, but have since been faithfully reconstructed. Evidence of the damage can still be seen where painted decoration is missing, or in the in scorch marks of surviving frescoes.  In some places the names or even the emblems have vanished, but the connection to history remains.

The crests and mottos of even the unknown past students,  emanate a message of history and continuation

a dramatic passageway leading to the lecture halls

all photos in the post by Lynne Rutter
except *  by Guido Barbi.
click on images to view larger.

Archiginnasio virtual visit!

Lynne Rutter Studio

Looking Forward

Palazzo Corsini, Florence photo by Lynne Rutter

I am appreciating everything, even as my eyes get used to the dark.  In my head I am still 24 years old and running through the doorway to see what's around the corner, while the more mature me fumbles with my camera to be ready for it.

The Dream of Constantine- a modern perspective

"The Dream of Constantine" by Piero della Francesca, circa 1464 (photo: Lynne Rutter)

We made a short trip to Arezzo, pretty much just to see Piero della Francesca's masterpiece "The Legend of the True Cross" in the Basilica di San Francesco. 

This is a really staggering work telling the somewhat convoluted story of the cross and the revered wood from which it was made.  It is the only surviving grand fresco cycle by Pierro della Francesca.

For most of his career della Francesca pursued mathematics as well as painting, and was for a long time after his death remembered more as a mathematician than as an artist, having written (and illustrated) texts on perspective, geometry, and techniques for creating perspective with color. 

I kept going back to this one panel, depicting a sleeping Constantine in a perfectly centered gold tent with a cone-shaped rose-colored top, against a blue and realistically starry night sky (purportedly the first ever depicted in Western Art.) Two guards and a terribly bored servant are oblivious to the bright light emanating from the delicate cross held by a dramatically backlit angel. The soldiers are thrown into deep shadow, emphasizing the unearthly light source.

I cannot help but think how modern this painting feels, with its strong blocks of color and an abstraction that seems more 20th than 15th century.

  

Get obsessed with me:

~ De prospectiva pingendi  illustrated treatise on perspective by Pierro della Francesca- facsimile at the Galileo Museum, Florence.

~ In the footsteps of Piero della Francesca - follow his work through Tuscany with a special phone app.

~An interesting paper on the night sky of this painting, and the star map on which it may have been based.

The Private Bathchamber of the Grand Duchess

a clever detail in the Grottesche ornamentation of the bath at "La Ferdinanda"

Corner of the bathchamber

Last March we ventured outside of Florence to visit the   splendid Medici Villa of Artimino known as "La Ferdinanda."   The villa was built for the Medici Duke Ferdinand I (1549-1609) as a hunting lodge and summer residence.  A World Heritage site, the estate currently hosts private events and features a winery and a hotel.

Having called ahead to explain our project and ask permission to photograph, we were warmly greeted and allowed to explore the villa and its decoration, much of which was done by the artist Domenico Passignano as well as Bernardino Poccetti.

Hidden away in a corner of the first floor,  is the “Stanzino del Poggiale” a small bathroom also called the "Ricetto del Poggiolo"  which was created for Grand Duchess Christina of Lorraine, the wife of Ferdinand I. It is completely encrusted with painted grottesca, oval landscape insets, and wild, colorful faux marble painted by Poccetti.  Closed up for hundreds of years, the room is preserved in spectacular condition.

Alison and I could hardly contain our excitement. I fumbled about with my camera.  Erling, who has long maintained that I should have my own TV show,  took a spontaneous 2 minute video with his iPhone. Which I have posted here for you.  Because you understand, don't you?

It was very difficult to photograph this tiny space (especially while hyperventilating.) Once I got a hold of myself,  I removed the giant halogen torchère from the room and inspected the charming details of the decor using only natural light, so that the true colors could best be seen. I marveled at the color palette, which alternated warm earth colors with  a cool purple and sea green.  This led to a discussion of the color of that purple, and the pigment that may have been used to make it. Is is caput mortuum?  Well not that actual "mummy brown" pigment but the hematite that makes that cardinal-robe purple.  What about that green? Malachite, of course. Sigh.

Window bay in the bath chamber- the purple borders have completely faded away

Not your usual Tuscan color scheme-- purple and seafoam green make for a cool and serene effect

Cupid and other putti on the ceiling, a later addition painted by Domenico Passignano

Passignano designed the ceiling areas with trompe l'oeil balusters and bits of sky peeking through.  Though faded, the effect is still quite convincing.   
More details:

a trompe l'oeil gold medallion with a bathing scene

lovely perspective detail with hints of gold

tiny grottesca panel over the doorway

I hope to be posting more from this beautiful villa soon.


Visit:  Villa Medicea di Artimino
photos by Lynne Rutter
video by Erling Wold
thanks always to Alison Woolley

Lynne Rutter Studio

The Putti of the Palazzo Albizi

A putto with a galero and Santo Stephano cross, on a ceiling in the Palazzo Albizzi, Florence

Along the Borgo degl'Albizi in Florence, fortress-like palazzi form deep canyons of stone facades, though which flows a river of pedestrian traffic.   At the center of this strada is the Palazzo Albizi.  Like most of these palaces the former home of the once-powerful Albizzi family is now divided into many shops, offices, and apartments, but is especially notable for reclaimed rooms on the street level, now the flagship store of "Maestri di Fabbrica." 

Maestri di Fabbrica, located in the former Palazzo Albizi

a telemon painted into a column

I am told that the frescoes were painted by Bernardino Poccetti or one of his pupils in the late 16th century.   In some areas the restoration of them is a bit ham-fisted but the overall design makes clever use of the space and there are plenty of thrilling details.

These trompe l'oeil murals now form a spectacular backdrop for the handcrafted work of a number of Tuscan artisans; displays of natural cosmetics and candles; a very nice buffet serving local specialties; and a boutique dedicated to fine local wines and olive oil. It wasn't until Theresa Cheek visited us in Florence that I discovered there was also a small back room with a surfeit of decorative art books at only €10 each.

putto with a river anchor and the Maltese cross of the Knights Hospitaller

One room in the shop was formerly a chapel; its ceiling populated with putti carrying symbolic items such as a fish hook-styled anchor, a cardinal's galero, and "Maltese" crosses, one a symbol of the Knights Hospitaller, a medieval religious military order, another a reference to the "Holy Military Order of St. Stephen Pope and Martyr" founded by Cosimo de' Medici in 1561.

Also, some pretty good putti painted into these ceilings. If you are like me and you are always looking for good putti. 

16th century trompe l'oeil murals in the former Palazzo Albizi

Maestri di Fabricci is located at Borgo degl'Albizi, 68, Firenze



all photos in this post by Lynne Rutter, Florence, February, 2014
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*The English spell the name Albizzi. I have no idea why.


  

Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting

Inside the Walls of Lucca

restored Gothic ceiling of the Duomo di San Martino, Lucca

A day trip to Lucca, an ancient city wrapped in Renaissance-era city walls.
After so many weeks of intensive living in Firenze,  the differences of Lucca were to me absolutely charming. Everything about Lucca feels older and more peculiar than Florence.  A smaller, less crowded place, it feels rather open and still, preserved and isolated by its history as well as its fortified walls.
 

Roman columns adorn the facade of San Michele in Foro

The facade of San Michele in Foro utilizes dozens of ornamental columns salvaged from the ruins of the nearby roman-era amphitheater, and a further collection of patterns in the spandrels above them, while the base and entrance is light and simple, and even modern-looking.

The simple and mystical entrance to San Michele in Foro

Roman amphitheater recycled

Around the Piazza Anfiteatro, which still retains the shape of the Roman amphitheater whose foundations are still hidden beneath it, the homes are built with the memories and stones of many eras.

Spectacular byzantine mosaic atop the austere facade of Basilica San Fredanio

detail of chapel with a self-portrait by  Amico Aspertini

Another mysterious white facade, San Fredanio is capped with a breathtaking Byzantine style mosaic.
Inside, a collection of dream-like scenes tell the story of the  Volto Santo di Lucca, which miraculously found its way to Lucca in 742 AD. This corpus statue was reputedly carved in cedar by Nicodemus, all except the face, which was completed by an angel after the sculptor fell asleep. (This statue is now kept in spectacular fashion in the Duomo di San Martino.)
Housekeepers and those who have lost their keys come to pray to St. Zita, whose body rests enshrined in a glass coffin.
Nearby, an empty chapel is filled with light and faded frescoes.

An empty chapel, painted with quadratura frescoes in the Basilica San Fredanio

The fortifications of Lucca never saw any action until they were converted into a park for biking and strolling and taking in the view. Erling remarked at the endless fun a 10 year old could find in the battlements and tunnels.  Of course we enjoyed exploring them, too.

Lucca's fortifications: a park above, a maze of secret passageways below.

all photos in this post by Lynne Rutter, Lucca, Italy, March 2014
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Heraldry: le Arti di Firenze

ceiling in the former Guelph Party headquarters

I passed by an open door and spied heraldic splendor on the ceiling, and my inner geek let out a slightly audible squeal.  On the door reads  Biblioteca Palagio di Parte Guelfa."  People were reading intently and looking serious.   I ventured inside and studied the ceiling trying to read the various symbols, my brain whirring away trying to access what Florentine history I can recall, my hand hovering over my camera bag like a gunslinger waiting for just the right moment to draw.

detail of Guelph party ceiling

Heraldry isn't just for noble families:  I recognized the banners of the Arti,  Florentine guilds who were active in commerce, as well as politics. The shields of two major guilds, the Arte di Calimala and the Arte dei Linaioli e Rigattieri, both textile guilds, take pride of place in the center along with the Florentine city shield, and that of the Guelph party.  The Guelphs, whose shield is white with a red cross, had a complicated and often bloody religious and political rivalry with the Ghibellines, whose shield was red with a white cross.  Theirs was an epic medieval conflict  which persisted in various mutations well into the 15th century.

detail showing the insignia of the Guilds of Florence

Encircling the shields in the center is a marvelous graphic border with the insignia of each of the Florentine guilds: stonemasons, speziale, blacksmiths, innkeepers, tanners, locksmiths, etc.  Surrounding all this is a field of deep blue  patterned with the French fleur de lis, possibly a reference to one of the (brief) periods of good relations between Florence and the French Crown.
Painted entirely by hand, each feature varies just a bit which really adds to the patina and feeling of history.  It almost looks like the banners are fluttering proudly overhead.

It's just great ornament and you all know how I feel about that.





photos by Lynne Rutter, Florence, March, 2014
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 Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting

Hidden in the Details... a Family Portrait

Capella Filippo Strozzi ceiling,  painted by Filippino Lippi

The Capella di Filippo Strozzi is one of the major chapels in Santa Maria Novella in Florence.  It was painted between 1489-1502 by Filippino Lippi, the natural son of the eminent painter ( and reputed playboy) Fra' Filippo Lippi and the beautiful Lucrezia Buti.
Initially I stopped to admire this chapel not just for its famous frescoes, but also for the inventive ornamental borders, which  cleverly incorporate the three crescent moons on the Strozzi coat of arms.

Adam, ceiling detail of the F. Strozzi Chapel.

Looking more closely at the ceiling, as I am wont to do, I noticed the face of Adam bears a striking resemblance to  Fillipino Lippi's own self-portrait.   Adam is depicted holding a wriggling child and casting a vanquished gaze at the serpent, who has the head of a lovely woman with flowing hair, and is offering a golden fig.    Is this a statement about Fillipino's father, or on the weakness of men in general?  A family portrait hidden in the details?





photos by Lynne Rutter,  February 2014
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Wappensaal

Groß Wappensaal of the Landhaus Klagenfurt

The capital of the Austrian state of Carinthia, Klagenfurt boasts a splendid Landhaus, or "country house," built as the seat of the state government in its more feudal arrangement, and which now serves as the state house as well as a museum. It's famous for its magnificent Wappensaal (Hall of Arms), a must-see for heraldry geeks and ornamentalists alike.

The arms of the noble families of Carinthia painted on the walls of the Klagenfurt Landhaus Wappensaal.

The Landhaus and the Wappensaal date from the early 16th century but suffered a great fire in 1723. The building was remodeled in the Baroque style and the Hall redecorated by painter Josef Ferdinand Fromiller (1693-1760).  In addition to the grand Scheinarchitektur ceiling fresco and a pair of murals depicting important events in the founding of the Carinthian state, the walls are covered with over 650 coats of arms of all of the armigerous families of the region.  Some additions were made in later years all the way through the 19th century, with a few spaces left blank to honor extinct families whose crests could no longer be found.

Josef Ferdinand Fromiller's ceiling fresco features a brilliant quadratura colonnade  and portraits of himself and his sons in the corner.

The trompe l'oeil in this grand hall is elegantly painted,  and very effective. However the almost graphic pattern of arms emblazoning the walls is stunning both as decor and as a device for creating a sense of continuous history. Which is rather the point after all.

marquetry doors and surrounds made of black marble

The inlaid marble floor and baroque marble doorways were created by a Venetian master named Francesco Robba. The marquetry doors are also particularly fine.

After years of traveling together, Erling has now amassed a collection of photos of me taking photos. He is over there capturing me with his iPhone.

Kleiner Wappensaal  (1740), currently used as a conference room.

A smaller Wappensaal in the Landhaus was also painted in 1740 by Fromiller with a further 298 arms of Burgraves, Presidents, and Chancellors. This room is in use for conferences and has been modernized around the murals. The ceiling mural is entitled "Veritas Temporis Filia" (Truth is the Daughter of Time.) 

Is your conference room emblazoned with armorial splendor?  No?  Well maybe it should be.

For German and Austrian arms there is of course a great book (just as there exists for English and French arms) identifying each family and you can find this Wappenbuch online.   

I am reining myself in tremendously here because I can go on and on about heraldry and other rooms decorated in this way, and am bursting to do so, but I am going to have to save that for another time. 
Stay tuned for more from Austria coming up soon!


all photos in this post by Lynne Rutter, Klagenfurt, December 2012
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Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting

Teatro Olimpico: Antiodèo

Sopraporte ornament in the lobby of the Teatro Olimpico, Vicenza

I was meeting with a new client this week who found me through this blog, which, she pointed out, has been languishing. Indeed it has, and I am sorry that business elsewhere has prevented me from writing as often as I'd like. I promised to go home and post something, and so I went straight into my most radioactive file for inspiration.

One of the great highlights of my life as a traveling ornamentalist was a visit to the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza.  Someday when I am in better control of my emotional reaction to this incredible place I will post my photos of the theater itself.

For now I want to point out some detail from one of the two lobbies of the Teatro, the Antiodèo, which is decorated with Renaissance trompe l'oeil frescoes of classical architecture.

Antiodèo, Teatro Olimpico, VIcenza

Built into an oddly shaped medieval fortress, the Teatro Olimpico manages to present some classical proportions through the genius of the design by Palladio and Scamozzi.  The frescoes by Giovanni Antonio Fasolo create the illusion of symmetry in an otherwise awkward interior space.

The Antiodèo also houses a seriously dangerous architectural bookshop.

detail, trompe l'oeil casing, bracket, and cornice

As a decorative artist I will often stare at details admiring how they were painted. Look closely at the 'casing' of this doorway. So simply painted, so effective.

Hoc opus, hic labor est  






All images in this post by Lynne Rutter,  Vicenza 2009

Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting