Monday, November 30, 2015

Tomb of Antonio d'Orso

Tomb of Antonio d'Orso by Tino di Camaino, Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence

Tomb of Antonio d'Orso by Tino di Camaino, 1317
Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore
Piazza del Duomo
Florence, October 2015

Sunday, November 29, 2015

St George the Martyr

St George the Martyr, Borough High Street, Southwark, London

St George the Martyr
Borough High Street, Southwark
London, September 2015

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Via Galliera

Doorway covered with graffiti, Via Galliera, Bologna

Front door covered with graffiti
Via Galliera
Bologna, June 2015

Friday, November 27, 2015

Nautilus

Playground with submarine, Paris-Plages, Pont au Change, Paris

Playground with a “submarine”
Paris-Plages
Seen from the Pont au Change
, 4th arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

“The puns are endless, but so is the sand. Paris-Plages is back for its thirteenth season. The annual project turns the banks of the city's famous river into a beachy getaway for locals and tourists to enjoy. Urban beach lovers have numerous spots to choose from along the river, each offering mounds of soft, artificial sand and oversized deck chairs. At the the Louvre beach, visitors can practice tai-chi and rollerblade. And complimentary concerts, dance parties, beach volleyball, ice cream carts and free libraries abound.” (‘Paris-Plages’ Is Back, Huffington Post)

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Punta della Dogana

Punta della Dogana and Santa Maria della Salute, seen from the bell tower of San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice

Punta della Dogana and Santa Maria della Salute
Seen from the bell tower of San Giorgio Maggiore
Venice, September 2013

“The museum's art is housed in and around the Dogana da Mar building. It was built between 1678 and 1682 as a customs house. The arcade styles reflect their construction in different eras. Atop the building are statues of Atlas, built to represent the supremacy of the Republic of Venice. The two slaves hold a golden ball upon which Giuseppe Benoni's Fortune stands. The 17th-century statue turns in the wind. The last renovation of the building was done by Alvise Pigazzi in 1838.” (Dogana da Mar, Wikipedia)

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

The Hunger

Broken Sublime (The Hunger) by Marc Quinn, Somerset House, London

“Broken Sublime (The Hunger)” by Marc Quinn, 2015
The Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court
Somerset House, Strand
London, September 2015

“Four monumental sculptures by Marc Quinn will be presented in The Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court this September and October. Forming two bodies of work entitled Frozen Wave and Broken Sublime (2015), the sculptures originate from the remnants of shells. This installation is the first time the works will be presented outdoors and the sculptures will be amidst the courtyard’s fountains, underlining the works’ connection to water.” (Marc Quinn: Frozen Waves, Broken Sublimes, Somerset House Trust)

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

1 Police Plaza

1 Police Plaza, Headquarters of the NYPD, Park Row, Civic Center, New York

1PP or 1 Police Plaza by Gruzen and Partners, 1973
Headquarters of the New York City Police Department
Park Row, Civic Center
New York, September 2008

“Gruzen & Partners was so ‘successful in obtaining commissions in the civic center area,’ Mr. Goldberger wrote in ‘The City Observed: New York,’ that the blocks around the Municipal Building ‘seem at first glance to consist entirely of structures of its design.’ These include 1 Police Plaza, a monumental, red-brick, waffle-iron of a building, and a striking departure from typical government architecture when it was completed in 1973; the boldly sculptural Chatham Terrace towers of 1965, where the play of light and shadow on concrete recalls the work of Le Corbusier; and the sinuous Chatham Green of 1961, a slender slab of apartments in the form of a shallow S.” (An Architect’s Legacy of Solid Design and Optimism, The New York Times)

Monday, November 23, 2015

Checked Luggage for a Lifetime

Consigne à vie, Checked Luggage for a Lifetime, by Arman, Cour de Rome, Gare Saint-Lazare, Paris

“Consigne à vie” (Checked Luggage for a Lifetime) by Arman, 1985
Gare Saint-Lazare
Cour de Rome
Quartier de l'Europe, 8th arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

See also: Consigne à vie - L'Heure de tous - Drapeaux - Everybody's Time

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Garibaldi in Bologna

Monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi by Arnaldo Zocchi, Via Indipendenza, Bologna

Monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi by Arnaldo Zocchi, 1901
Via Indipendenza
Bologna, June 2015

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Paddington Railway Station

Interior of Paddington railway station, London

Interior of Paddington railway station
Praed Street, Paddington
London, September 2015

Friday, November 20, 2015

San Bartolomeo all'Isola

Rome

Basilica di San Bartolomeo all'Isola
(Basilica of St. Bartholomew on the Island)
Isola Tiberina (Tiber Island)
Rome, May 2010

“The century-old history of the Basilica of St. Bartholomew begins on the Tiber Island, one of the first inhabited areas of the ancient city of Rome. At the time of the Roman Empire, an ancient temple dedicated to the god Aesculapius was built in the area where the Basilica now stands, and people from all over the city came to ask for healing from their ailments. In year 997, the German Emperor Otto III decided to honour two important saints: Bartholomew the Apostle, and Adalbert, a well-known martyr killed while he was in mission preaching the Gospel in Poland. The Basilica was built to keep the bodies of these two martyrs.” (History of the Basilica, Basilica di San Bartolomeo all'Isola)

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Conciergerie

The Conciergerie, Île de la Cité, Paris

The Conciergerie
Quai de l'Horloge, Île de la Cité
Quartier Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, 1st arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Baldassarre Galuppi

Monument to Baldassarre Galuppi by Remigio Barbaro, Piazza Galuppi, Burano, Venetian Lagoon

Monument to Baldassarre Galuppi by Remigio Barbaro
Piazza Baldassarre Galuppi
Burano, Venetian Lagoon
Venice, September 2012

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Walking Man and Standing Man

Walking Man and Standing Man by Sean Henry, PaddingtonCentral, Paddington Waterside, London

“Walking Man” and ”Standing Man” by Sean Henry, 1998-2000
PaddingtonCentral, Paddington Waterside
London, September 2014

Monday, November 16, 2015

Twin-Towers I

Twin-Towers I by Kieferle & Partner, Alt-Treptow, Treptow-Köpenick, Berlin

Twin-Towers I by Kieferle & Partner, 1997
Alt-Treptow, Treptow-Köpenick
Berlin, September 2011

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Nec mergitur

Fluctuat nec mergitur, coat of arms of Paris, Hôtel de Ville metro station, Paris

“Fluctuat nec mergitur” (Tossed by the waves but not sunk)
The coat of arms of the city of Paris
Hôtel de Ville metro station
Quartier Saint-Merri, 4th arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

See also: Fluctuat nec mergitur - Red Bricks

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Piazza delle Murate

Le Murate, Via Ghibellina, Florence

Le Murate
Via Ghibellina
Florence, April 2015

“Stepping into the courtyard of Le Murate is not your typical ‘ahhhh Italia’ moment. The space is now largely residential. Modern apartment balconies overlook the courtyard. Students and young families come and go, and bicycles stock the racks. But pegging Le Murate as a simple apartment complex doesn’t feel quite right. No, there is something more here. Much more, but you can’t quite place it. Luckily for you, we’re here to bring you up to speed. The walls of Le Murate were constructed in 1424 as the home of the Benedictine sisters of Santa Caterina. This particular order of nuns chose to be cloistered from society, lending to its nickname, le murate (the walled-up). The sisters lived a quiet and happy life walled up for nearly 300 years until Tuscany fell under French rule in the 19th century. With the suppression of Florence’s religious orders, the walls of Le Murate figuratively fell around the sisters, and they were forced out of their convent.” (Beyond the Walls of Le Murate, Florence for Free)

Friday, November 13, 2015

Queen's Tower

Queen's Tower by Thomas Edward Collcutt, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London

Queen's Tower by Thomas Edward Collcutt
Imperial College London, South Kensington
London, September 2015

“The tower used to be the central tower of the Imperial Institute, and is now the sole remaining part of that building. The Institute was founded on Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887, and its partial demolition began in 1957. At that time it was generally known as the Collcutt Tower, after its designer, the Victorian architect Thomas Edward Collcutt. The tower itself would have been demolished along with the rest of the Institute, had it not been for a public campaign led by the then Poet Laureate, and supporter of 19th century architecture, John Betjeman. He warned that tastes in architecture change and that the destruction of this building (at a time when Victorian architecture had fallen out of favour) would be a loss.” (Queen's Tower, Wikipedia)

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Francisco de Paula Santander

Rome

Statue of Francisco de Paula Santander by Carlos Viejo, 1960
Viale Madama Letizia, Villa Borghese gardens
Rome, September 2010

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre

Interior of the church of Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre, rue Galande, Paris

Interior of Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre (Saint Julian the Poor)
Rue Galande
Quartier de la Sorbonne, 5th arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Floral Vespa

Floral Vespa LX 125, Via Cartoleria, Bologna

Floral Vespa LX 125
Via Cartoleria
Bologna, June 2015

Monday, November 9, 2015

Father Thames

Father Thames by Stephen Duncan, Elm Quay, Nine Elms, Vauxhall, Lambeth, London

“Father Thames” by Stephen Duncan, 1988
Elm Quay, Nine Elms
Vauxhall, Lambeth
London, September 2015

“A naked demigod stands guard over the Nine Elms riverbank. The tangerine deity tussles with a frutti di mare of dolphins, fishes, giant anemones, a playful water baby and a skulking octopus. The polychrome relief, designed by Stephen Duncan in 1988, is a monument to Father Thames, London's very own river god.” (Who Is Old Father Thames?, Londonist)

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Life Force

Life Force by David BakalarNew York

“Life Force” by David Bakalar, 1988
Revson Plaza, Columbia University
Morningside Heights
New York, September 2008

“The sculpture Life Force looks as if it is growing out of the grassy area on which it sits, its gracefully bending stem supporting a spherically-shaped head. There is a round hole cut through the middle of the sphere, visible from either the north or south of the sculpture. On the north side, a section of the sphere is scooped out, revealing a series of irregularly placed concentric circles moving from the edge of the hole outward to the surface of the sphere. Looking from the south, the hole is bigger, meaning that the hole itself is conical in shape, rather than cylindrical. On this side, the edge of the hole meets the outer surface of the sphere.” (Life Force, NYC Public Art Curriculum)

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Soul of the Arts

Soul of the Arts by Greg Wyatt, courtyard of the Schola Cantorum de Paris, rue Saint-Jacques, Paris

“Soul of the Arts” by Greg Wyatt, 2004
Courtyard of the Schola Cantorum de Paris
Rue Saint-Jacques
Quartier du Val-de-Grâce, 5th arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

See also: Peace Elephant - Mikhail Baryshnikov - Two Rivers - Peace Fountain - Two Peacocks

Friday, November 6, 2015

I Passi d'Oro

I Passi d’Oro, The Golden Strides by Maurizio Barni, Via dei Georgofili, Florence

“I Passi d'Oro” (The Golden Strides) by Maurizio Barni, 2013
Wall of the Uffizi Gallery
Via dei Georgofili
Florence, October 2015

“This year on May 26, the Uffizi Gallery, together with the Friends of Florence, unveiled a specially commissioned statue, which is placed some 20 meters above ground on the wall of the Uffizi Gallery facing Via dei Georgofili. Made by Tuscan artist Roberto Barni, the 2-meter tall statue in bronze is entitled ‘I Passi d’Oro’ (The Golden Strides). It was presented to the public in the Salone de' Cinquecento of the Palazzo Vecchio by president of the Italian Senate, Pietro Grasso, with members of the Association of Relatives of the Victims of via dei Georgofili in attendance.” (The Monument to a Tragedy, Tuscan Traveler)

Thursday, November 5, 2015

The Pavilion

The Tabard Square Pavilion by Rolfe Judd, Southwark, London

The Tabard Square Pavilion by Rolfe Judd, 2007
Empire Square
Long Lane, Southwark
London, September 2015

“The Pavilion was completed in 2007 having been designed by award winning architect, Rolfe Judd Ltd. The property provides 3,322 sq.ft. of ‘signature’ floorspace arranged in a unique stand alone building with its own entrance.” (The Pavilion, Hall Kemp)

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

San Petronio

Statue of Saint Petronius by Gabriele Brunelli, Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, Bologna

Statue of San Petronio (Saint Petronius) by Gabriele Brunelli, 1683
Piazza di Porta Ravegnana
Bologna, June 2015

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Place Félix-Éboué

Fontaine du Château d'eau by Gabriel Davioud, Place Félix-Éboué, Paris

Fontaine du Château-d'Eau or Fontaine Daumesnil by Gabriel Davioud, architect, 1880
(Henri Alfred Jacquemart and Louis Villemont, sculptors)
Place Félix-Éboué
Quartier de Picpus, 12th arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

Monday, November 2, 2015

Delivery Boat

Delivery boat, Venice

Delivery boat on the canal

Venice, September 2013

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Roller Skater

Roller Skater by André Wallace, Moreton Street, Pimlico, London

“Roller Skater” by André Wallace, 2010
Moreton Street, Pimlico
London, September 2015

“It makes a change from skateboarding youths. On the corner of Moreton Street and Vauxhall Bridge Road in Pimlico, six-year-old Beth Tsang welcomes the cool new girl in town — a sculpted roller skater more than six feet tall. The artist, 63, based in Bromley-by-Bow, said: ‘I wanted to make a sculpture that would be positive and dynamic and reflect the youth and vitality of an urban street.’ André Wallace's work was commissioned six years ago as part of a residential development but was held up by the changing fortunes of the housing market.” (Roller skate sculpture rolls with it in Pimlico, Evening Standard)