Friday, December 31, 2021

Repòs

Repòs by Josep Viladomat i Massanas, Jardí d'Escultures, Avinguda Miramar, Montjuïc, Barcelona

“Repòs” by Josep Viladomat i Massanas, 1925
Jardí d'Escultures
Avinguda Miramar, Montjuïc
Barcelona, March 2017

Thursday, December 30, 2021

Piazza del Parlamento

Staircase with marble groups by Domenico Trentacoste, Palazzo Montecitorio, Piazza del Parlamento, Rome

Staircase with marble groups by Domenico Trentacoste, 1913
Palazzo Montecitorio
Piazza del Parlamento
Rome, September 2019

“The return of the Chamber of Deputies to the palace followed extensive renovations, which left only the facade intact. The architect, Ernesto Basile, was an exponent of Art nouveau, known in Italy as Liberty style. He reduced the courtyard, demolished the wings and rear of the palace, constructing a new structure dominated by four red-brick and travertine towers at the corners. Basile also added the so-called Transatlantico, the long and impressive salon which surrounds the debating chamber and now acts as the informal centre of Italian politics.” (Palazzo Montecitorio, Wikipedia)

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Gdynia Market Hall

Hala Targowa (Market Hall), ulica Wójta Radtkiego, Gdynia

Hala Targowa (Market Hall)
ulica Wójta Radtkiego
Gdynia, September 2018

“One of the few places left in the Tri-city where you can get that authentic old time shopping experience. Inside this large Hala Targowa (Trading Hall), rows of independent traders offer everything from clothing to electronic equipment. Very popular with the visiting Swedish shoppers looking to pick up a bargain, the market is a glimpse into post-communist Poland before the arrival of the western style shopping malls and hypermarkets now so familiar across the region. Find it close to Gdynia Main Railway station.” (Gdynia Market Hall, In Your pocket)

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Indomitable

Kodiak brown bear Indomitable by Nick Bibby, Oxford Street at Old Quebec Street, London

Kodiak brown bear “Indomitable” by Nick Bibby
Oxford Street at Old Quebec Street
London, September 2014

“The creation of the monumental bronze sculpture, ‘Indomitable’, depicting a life-size Kodiak Brown Bear, has been a mammoth undertaking, requiring the talents of Nick and over 100 skilled workers at Pangolin Editions foundry in Chalford, Gloucestershire, to bring to reality. Involving over 3,000 hours work by Nick and the team at Pangolin; weighing over 5000 lbs and towering to 15 feet in height, the finished bronze sculpture projects an almost unbelievable aura of power and majesty, deeply affecting all who see it. Originally commissioned by Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, Nick began by sculpting a 1/5th scale Maquette of the bear in water-based clay, which was then moulded and cast by Pangolin. This cast was laser scanned to provide computer data, used to create an exact digital enlargement of the bear in urethane foam. This foam enlargement was then covered with a thin layer of wax by Pangolin’s talented modellers, to provide a key for the final layer of wax modelling clay, added by Nick to sculpt the intense detail and texture of the finished bear. The completed monumental foam and wax sculpture was cut apart for moulding and casting into bronze. The bronze bear was cast in 12 separate sections, using over 2500lbs of bronze, the head and paws were cast using the cire perdu or, ‘Lost Wax’ method, whilst the two body sections were cast using giant sand moulds. The various sections were subsequently welded together and the welds skilfully re-detailed, prior to being patinated and attached to the massive fabricated sheet bronze and stainless steel plinth, using huge stainless steel bolts. Indomitable number 1 now stands proudly, outside the Nelson Fitness Centre, on Brown’s University Campus, in Providence, and a second cast has already been sold, which was recently on show near Marble Arch, on Oxford Street, London.” (Kodiak Brown Bear - Indomitable, Nick Bibby)

Monday, December 27, 2021

Fountain of Neptune

Fountain of Neptune by Bartolomeo Ammannati, Piazza della Signoria, Florence

Fountain of Neptune by Bartolomeo Ammannati
Piazza della Signoria
Florence, February 2021

“The Fountain of Neptune in Florence, Italy, (Fontana del Nettuno) is situated in the Piazza della Signoria (Signoria square), in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. The fountain was commissioned by Cosimo I de' Medici in 1559 to celebrate the marriage of Francesco de' Medici I to Grand Duchess Joanna of Austria. Cosimo I de' Medici was the Duke of Florence from 1537-1569 and responsible for a vast number of architectural and artistic elements in Florence that still exist today. The fountain was designed by Baccio Bandinelli, but created by Bartolomeo Ammannati with the assistance of several other artists between 1560 and 1574. It incorporates a series of mythological figures and iconographies that symbolize both Cosimo I de' Medici's power and the union of Francesco and Joanna. It has sustained a great deal of damage over the years due to vandalism and general mistreatment but underwent a major restoration completed in 2019 that restored it to its original glory.” (Fountain of Neptune, Wikipedia)

Sunday, December 26, 2021

Toreador

Toreador by Juan Soriano, Emilii Plater, Warsaw

“Toreador” by Juan Soriano
Emilii Plater
Warsaw, September 2018

Saturday, December 25, 2021

Teulada

Teulada by Perejaume (Pere Jaume Borrell i Guinart, Jardí d'Escultures, Avinguda Miramar, Montjuïc, Barcelona

“Teulada” by Perejaume (Pere Jaume Borrell i Guinart), 1990
Jardí d'Escultures
Avinguda Miramar, Montjuïc
Barcelona, March 2017

“Pere Jaume Borrell i Guinart, known as Perejaume, (born in 1957 in Sant Pol de Mar, Catalonia) is a Spanish contemporary artist. Of self-taught formation he takes clear influences of authors like Joan Brossa, with whom he will share work mixing the painting and the poetry. His work covers a discursive plane of subject matter that includes humans' relationship with nature, the society of the spectacle, and the reevaluation of modernist painting. He has been exhibiting his work around the world since 1990 in such institutions as the Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol, England, the Meyers Bloom Gallery in Santa Monica, California and the Galeria Joan Prats in Barcelona, Catalonia. In 2005 he was awarded the Catalan National Prize of Visual Arts (granted by the Generalitat de Catalunya), in 2006 the Spanish National Award for Plastic Arts, and in 2007 the Spanish National Prize of Graphic Arts.” (Perejaume, Wikipedia)

Friday, December 24, 2021

Deer head

Deer head with a cross by Paolo Morelli, Basilica di Sant'Eustachio (Basilica of Saint Eustace), Piazza di Sant'Eustachio, Rome

Deer head with a cross by Paolo Morelli
Basilica di Sant'Eustachio (Basilica of Saint Eustace)
Piazza di Sant'Eustachio
Rome, September 2019

“On top is a triangular pediment with in its middle a circular window surrounded with palm branches and surmounted by a crown. On top of the pediment stands a deer head with a cross between the antlers (done by the sculptor Paolo Morelli († 1719), in reference to the legend of Saint Eustace.” (Sant'Eustachio, Wikipedia)

Thursday, December 23, 2021

Bagatela Theatre

Bagatela Theatre, ulica Karmelicka, ulica Krupnicza, Kraków

Teatr „Bagatela” (Bagatela Theatre)
ulica Karmelicka / ulica Krupnicza
Kraków, September 2018

“The Bagatela Theatre in Kraków is situated at the junction of Karmelicka Street and Krupniczej Street. The theatre's intimate ‘new stage’ is located on Sarego Józefa Street. The theatre's history dates back to 1918, when Marian Dąbrowski, publisher and editor of Kraków's ‘Ilustrowany Kurier Codzienny’ (Illustrated Daily Courier, commonly known as IKC, also Ikac) initiated the creation of the stage. The building was designed by architect Janusz Zarzecki during 1918 - 1919, and its interior was designed by painter and decorator Henry Uziembło. A fire that broke out the night of 6/7 April 1928 completely destroyed the interior. In 1926, due to financial difficulties, the theatre was reclassified as a cinema. In 1938, the building was modernized and renamed ‘Scala’. It became the most elegant cinema in Kraków. Housed here during 1946 - 1948 was an intimate theatre. Since 1949 it has been home to the Państwowy Teatr Młodego Widza (State Theatre of the Young Viewer). The Rozmaitości Theatre was established here in 1957. The theatre returned to being called Bagatela in 1970, and was dedicated to the memory of Tadeusz Boy-Żeleński in 1972. The writer and doctor lived in a flat in the area for many years. Roman Polanski made his debut here as a young man. The theatre was originally designed for children but nowadays shows musicals, comedies and other light entertainments suitable for families.” (Bagatela Theatre, Wikipedia)

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Wright Eclipse Gemini

Volvo B5LH Wright Eclipse Gemini 2, Oxford Street, London

Volvo B5LH Wright Eclipse Gemini 2
Oxford Street
London, September 2014

“The Wright Eclipse Gemini is a low-floor double-decker bus body that was built by Wrightbus since 2001, based on the single-deck Wright Eclipse design. The second-generation Eclipse Gemini 2 was launched in 2009, followed by the third-generation Gemini 3 in 2013. Additionally, the body was available on Volvo Super Olympian chassis in Hong Kong between 2003 and 2005, marketed as the Wright Explorer. Production of the Gemini have been suspended as Wrightbus entered administration in September 2019. The original Eclipse Gemini was launched in 2001 on Volvo B7TL chassis; from 2006, the body was also built on the replacement Volvo B9TL chassis and, from 2013, on the B9TL's replacement, the Volvo B5TL. From 2008, the body was also available on Volvo B5LH hybrid chassis. Eclipse Gemini's exported to the Asian market have been offered a choice of the tri-axle Volvo B8L and the Scania K410EB. Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied buses were mass-introduced on London Buses services from 2001. It has also been popular with FirstGroup, who from 2003 onwards have purchased over 1,200 into service.[3] Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann have also acquired many Volvo B9TLs with Wright Eclipse Gemini bodywork.” (Wright Eclipse Gemini, Wikipedia)

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Fontana del Mascherone

Fontana del Mascherone (Mask Fountain), Piazza del Grano, Florence

Fontana del Mascherone (Mask Fountain), 1764
Piazza del Grano
Florence, February 2021

“On the Northwest corner is a small marble fountain, Fontana del Mascherone, with a grotesque face, designed and sculpted by Chiarissimo Fancelli, inspired by the Fontana dello Sprone in Oltrarno that had been built by Bernardo Buontalenti.” (Loggia del Grano, Wikipedia)

Monday, December 20, 2021

Państwowa Galeria Sztuki

Państwowa Galeria Sztuki, State Gallery of Art, plac Zdrojowy, Sopot

Państwowa Galeria Sztuki (State Gallery of Art)
plac Zdrojowy
Sopot, September 2018

Sunday, December 19, 2021

Ctonos

Ctonos by Gabriel Sáenz Romero, Jardí d'Escultures, Avinguda Miramar, Montjuïc, Barcelona

“Ctonos” by Gabriel Sáenz Romero
Jardí d'Escultures
Avinguda Miramar, Montjuïc
Barcelona, March 2017

Saturday, December 18, 2021

The Quadriga of Liberty

The Quadriga of Liberty by Luigi Bartolini, Victor Emmanuel II Monument, Piazza Venezia, Rome

The Quadriga of Liberty by Luigi Bartolini, 1927
Victor Emmanuel II Monument
Piazza Venezia
Rome, June 2019

“At 11 metres tall, the Quadriga soars over the western propylaeum of the monument, its silhouette, inspired by ancient Greek models, stands out against the Roman sky. The Quadriga of Liberty, which is over 11 metres tall, was made of bronze by the Roman sculptor Paolo Bartolini. After winning the special competition in 1907, Bartolini began working on the piece in 1909. However, final delivery and assembly of the work of art were not completed until 1927. Liberty is represented as a Victory with outstretched wings, her head surrounded by a band, known as a taenia, with a laurel wreath in one hand and a spear in the other; she is standing on a wagon pulled by four majestic horses. The model for the female figure is the Lemnian Athena, which, since antiquity, has been considered the masterpiece of the great Greek sculptor Fidia: Bartolini was able to study it closely through a cast of the preserved copy in Dresden.” (The Quadriga of Liberty, Vittoriano)

Friday, December 17, 2021

Spektrum Tower

Spektrum Tower, Twarda, Warszawa-Śródmieście, Warsaw

Spektrum Tower, 2003
Twarda, Warszawa-Śródmieście
Warsaw, September 2018

“The Spektrum Tower (formerly TP S.A. Tower) is a highrise office tower in Warsaw, the capital of Poland. It is located at 14/16 Twarda Street in the Warszawa-Śródmieście central business district of the city and used to house the headquarters of its investor, the telecom operator Telekomunikacja Polska S.A. (TP S.A.), with some space being leased to other companies. The building of the tower was initially contracted to PIA Piasecki S.A. on 1 August 1997, originally due to be completed 30 June 2002. In 2002, however, the contractor was found unable to complete the structure due to strained financial standing, and the investor turned to PORR Polska S.A. (who has completed a number of other office buildings and towers in Warsaw) to finish the construction. The Tower was finally completed in December 2003. The Tower was built using the ‘top-down’ technology, with both the over- and underground parts of the structure being constructed simultaneously. During the excavation for the foundation of the Tower, a 580 kg artillery shell from World War II was discovered 8 metres below ground level. The Tower was designed by architects from Apar-Projekt and Arca A&C bureaus, and consists of a composition of cylinders and cuboids. The structural design was the responsibility of TMJ Tomasz Ziętała. The Tower has 30 overground and 5 underground floors, extending 16.5 metres below ground level and rising to 128 metres above ground. The building comprises almost 50,000 m2 of space, over 41,000 of which is usable. Unique features of the building include the helipad on the roof and the external elevator shaft, sloped 14°, which connects the street level with one of the higher office floors with an elevator cabin travelling at 2.5 m/s. Apart from it, there are seven other straight-up elevator shafts in the building core. The Tower is a modern intelligent building, fitted with building automation systems. In July 2008 it was sold to Danish investment fund Baltic Property Trust Optima which sold it in 2012 to a London-based Europa Capital LLP fund.” (Spektrum Tower, Wikipedia)

Thursday, December 16, 2021

Rick Owens

Rick Owens by Douglas Jennings, Selfridges, Oxford Street, London

Rick Owens by Douglas Jennings, 2014
Selfridges
Oxford Street
London, September 2014

“Rick Owens has been immortalised by a 25 foot polystyrene sculpture on top of Selfridges' Oxford Street entrance. The naked torso was created from a maquette designed by the British sculptor Doug Jennings, and features a flaming torch that will burn for 12 hours a day, for a total of 552 hours. The statue is the pièce de résistance of ‘The World of Rick Owens’, a new collaboration between Rick Owens and Selfridges that marks twenty years since the Californian designer launched his eponymous label. He's also curated a series of window designs for the department store; three are influenced by the Richard Strauss opera Salome.” (Today in London: Rick Owens x Selfridges, FashionUnited)

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Palazzo Spini Feroni

Palazzo Spini Feroni, Piazza di Santa Trinita, Florence

Palazzo Spini Feroni
Piazza di Santa Trinita
Florence, February 2021

“In the 14th century, the palazzo was divided between the two branches of the Spini; the section facing the piazza was sold in the 17th century. In the 1670s, Marquis Francesco Antonio Ferroni, a member of Grand Duke Cosimo III ruling circle, had it redecorated with stuccoes by Giovan Battista Foggini and Lorenzo Merlini. During this refurbishment, the frescoes (1609–1612) by Bernardino Poccetti depicting Paradise with a Choir of Musician Angels and Adoration of the Shepherds were moved from their original location. In 1846, after a spell as a hotel, the palace was purchased by the comune of Florence, and later used for state offices during the period (1865–1871) when Florence was capital of Italy. In 1874, it was partly renovated in neo-medieval style; shop-fronts were opened in the ground floor and a tower and an arch facing the river Arno were demolished, giving the palace the present appearance. In the 1930s, it was bought by the shoe designer Salvatore Ferragamo. Since 1995 the Palazzo has housed a museum dedicated to Ferragamo.” (Palazzo Spini Feroni, Wikipedia)

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Sukiennice

Sukiennice (Cloth Hall), Rynek Główny, Stare Miasto (Old Town), Kraków

Sukiennice (Cloth Hall)
Rynek Główny
Stare Miasto (Old Town)
Kraków, September 2018

“The Kraków Cloth Hall (Polish: Sukiennice), in Lesser Poland, dates to the Renaissance and is one of the city's most recognizable icons. It is the central feature of the main market square in the Kraków Old Town (the historic center of Kraków), which since 1978 has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It was once a major centre of international trade. Travelling merchants met there to discuss business and to barter. During its golden age in the 15th century, the hall was the source of a variety of exotic imports from the east – spices, silk, leather and wax – while Kraków itself exported textiles, lead, and salt from the Wieliczka Salt Mine. In the immediate vicinity of the hall, the Great Weigh House and the Small Weigh House existed until the 19th century. Other, similar cloth halls have existed in other Polish as well as other European cities such as in Ypres, Belgium; Braunschweig, and in Leeds, England. Kraków was Poland's capital city and was among the largest cities in Europe already from before the time of the Renaissance. However, its decline started with the move of the capital to Warsaw at the end of the 16th century. The city's decline was hastened by wars and politics leading to the Partitions of Poland at the end of the 18th century. By the time of the architectural restoration proposed for the cloth hall in 1870 under Austrian rule, much of the historic city center was decrepit. A change in political and economic fortunes for the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria ushered in a revival due to newly established Legislative Assembly or Sejm of the Land. The successful renovation of the Cloth Hall, based on a design by Tomasz Pryliński and supervised by Mayor Mikołaj Zyblikiewicz, Sejm Marshal, was one of the most notable achievements of this period. The hall has hosted many distinguished guests over the centuries and is still used to entertain monarchs and dignitaries, such as Charles, Prince of Wales and Emperor Akihito of Japan, who was welcomed here in 2002. In the past, balls were held here, most notably after Prince Józef Poniatowski had briefly liberated the city from the Austrians in 1809. Aside from its history and cultural value, the hall still is still used as a center of commerce.” (Kraków Cloth Hall, Wikipedia)

Monday, December 13, 2021

Manelic

Manelic by Josep Montserrat i Portella, Jardí d'Escultures, Avinguda Miramar, Montjuïc, Barcelona

Manelic by Josep Montserrat i Portella
Jardí d'Escultures
Avinguda Miramar, Montjuïc
Barcelona, March 2017

Sunday, December 12, 2021

The Quadriga of Unity

The Quadriga of Unity by Carlo Fontana, Victor Emmanuel II Monument, Piazza Venezia, Rome

The Quadriga of Unity by Carlo Fontana, 1927
Victor Emmanuel II Monument
Piazza Venezia
Rome, June 2019

“All of Rome at your feet: this is the Terrace of the Quadrigae. At the end of an exciting ride, the panoramic lifts take you to the top of the Vittoriano, with a 360° view of the Eternal City. The terrace takes its name from the two 11-metre-high bronze quadrigae located on the top of the two propylaea. The Quadriga of Unity, to the east, was made of bronze by the sculptor from Carrara, Carlo Fontana (1909-1927). Unity is represented as a classical Victory with outstretched wings and a laurel wreath, standing on a chariot pulled by four horses that stride forward in a dignified manner. The western end is dominated by the Quadriga of Liberty made of bronze by the Roman sculptor, Paolo Bartolini (1909-1927). Liberty is also represented as a Victory with outstretched wings, her head surrounded by a band, known as a taenia, with a laurel wreath in one hand and a spear in the other; she is standing on a chariot pulled by four majestic horses.” (Terrace of the Quadrigae, Vittoriano)

Saturday, December 11, 2021

China Sichuan Restaurant

China Sichuan Restaurant, Arbeiterstrandbadstraße, Vienna

China Sichuan Restaurant
Arbeiterstrandbadstraße
Vienna, June 2018

Friday, December 10, 2021

South Molton Street Building

South Molton Street Building by DSDHA, South Molton Street and Davies Street, Mayfair, London

South Molton Street Building by DSDHA, 2013
South Molton Street and Davies Street, Mayfair
London, September 2014

“The South Molton Street Building is a new mixed-use development located on Oxford Street, London’s busiest shopping thoroughfare, at the junction with South Molton Street and Davies Street. It is adjacent to Bond Street Underground Station, which will benefit from the arrival of Crossrail in 2018 and an influx of additional visitors to the area. The development replaces a former pub with a new high quality mixeduse building comprising retail, office space and residential. The six-storey building is the brand headquarters and flagship store for Bosideng, China’s largest retailer (which has over 4000 outlets in China), introducing the brand to an international audience. The design responds to the building’s unique location, its surrounding context within Mayfair and proximity to the historic route of the buried River Tyburn. Seeking to reflect the qualities of the area, it presents a contemporary sustainable architecture that embodies good design and craftsmanship. Sited within a Conservation Area and highly prominent from all sides, there are five separate approach routes to the South Molton Street Building. DSDHA has taken a three-dimensional approach based on the kinetic experience of seeing and walking past the building from different points of view. Bookending a pedestrianised street, the form of the building is created to improve the status of the address, and as the facade gracefully turns the curved corner facing Oxford Street it reveals greater transparency on the retail and residential floors, evoking a sense of movement and change across the elevation. From Davies Street, a distinct residential and commercial entrance is created to visually terminate the street when approached from Brook Street and Berkeley Square. The facade is composed of subtly varying profiled glazed terracotta tiles, designed specifically for the project in close collaboration with the manufacturer. Taking inspiration from the aqueous historic reference of the River Tyburn flowing along South Molton Street, the bespoke facade has been developed to create a perceived sense of movement or undulation as you pass by. The glazed battens are shaped to capture shadow and reflect light to create a dynamic and ever-changing elevation.” (The South Molton Street Building, Archello)

Thursday, December 9, 2021

We Rise by Lifting Others

We Rise by Lifting Others by Mariella Senatore, Palazzo Strozzi, Piazza degli Strozzi, Florence

“We Rise by Lifting Others” by Mariella Senatore, 2020
Palazzo Strozzi
Piazza degli Strozzi
Florence, February 2021

Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Seven Mar

Pipe layer Seven Mar, Martwa Wisła, Port of Gdańsk

Pipe layer “Seven Mar” (IMO 9230414)
Port of Gdańsk
Martwa Wisła
Gdańsk, September 2018

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Font de Rut

Font de Rut (Fountain of Ruth) by Josep Maria Camps i Arnau, Plaça de la Virreina, Barcelona

Font de Rut (Fountain of Ruth) by Josep Maria Camps i Arnau, 1949
Plaça de la Virreina
Barcelona, March 2017

Monday, December 6, 2021

Statue of Saint Paul

Bronze statue of St. Paul by Costantino de' Servi, Column of Marcus Aurelius, Piazza Colonna, Rome

Bronze statue of Saint Paul by Costantino de' Servi, 1586
Column of Marcus Aurelius
Piazza Colonna
Rome, June 2019

“About three metres of the base have been below ground level since 1589 when, by order of pope Sixtus V, the whole column was restored by Domenico Fontana and adapted to the ground level of that time. Also a bronze statue of the apostle St. Paul was placed on the top platform, to go with that of St. Peter on Trajan's Column (27 October 1588). (Originally the top platform had a statue of Marcus Aurelius, but it was removed and switched with St.Paul after Christianity took reign as the dominant religion.)” (Column of Marcus Aurelius, Wikipedia)

Sunday, December 5, 2021

Wojciech Bogusławski

Pomnik Wojciecha Bogusławskiego (Monument to Wojciech Bogusławski), plac Teatralny, Warsaw

Pomnik Wojciecha Bogusławskiego (Monument to Wojciech Bogusławski)
plac Teatralny
Warsaw, September 2018

“Wojciech Romuald Bogusławski (9 April 1757 – 23 July 1829) was a Polish actor, theater director and playwright of the Polish Enlightenment. He was the director of the National Theatre, Warsaw, (Teatr Narodowy), during three distinct periods, as well as establishing a Polish opera. He is considered the ‘Father of Polish theatre.’” (Wojciech Bogusławski, Wikipedia)

Saturday, December 4, 2021

Improvements under way

Improvements under way, Bond Street station, Oxford Street, London

“Improvements under way”
Bond Street station
Oxford Street
London, September 2014

Friday, December 3, 2021

Chimera of Arezzo

Chimera of Arezzo (copy), Giardini del Porcinai, Viale Michelangelo, Arezzo

Chimera of Arezzo (copy)
Giardini del Porcinai
Viale Michelangelo
Arezzo, February 2021

“The Chimera of Arezzo is regarded as the best example of ancient Etruscan artwork. British art historian, David Ekserdjian, described the sculpture as "one of the most arresting of all animal sculptures and the supreme masterpiece of Etruscan bronze-casting." Made entirely of bronze and measuring 78.5 cm high with a length of 129 cm, it was found alongside a small collection of other bronze statues in Arezzo, an ancient Etruscan and Roman city in Tuscany. The statue was originally part of a larger sculptural group representing a fight between a Chimera and the Greek hero Bellerophon. This sculpture was likely created as a votive offering to the Etruscan god Tinia.” (Chimera of Arezzo, Wikipedia)

Thursday, December 2, 2021

Muzyka

Muzyka, Music, Filharmonia Krakowska (Kraków Philharmonic), ulica Zwierzyniecka, Kraków

“Muzyka” (Music)
Filharmonia Krakowska (Kraków Philharmonic)
ulica Zwierzyniecka
Kraków, September 2018

“The Kraków Philharmonic (Polish: Filharmonia Krakowska) is the primary concert hall in Kraków, Poland. It is one of the largest auditoriums in the city. It consists of the main hall for orchestral performances with 693 seats, and two smaller venues, the Golden Hall and the Blue Hall, for chamber music concerts. The Kraków Philharmonic Concert Hall was designed by architect Józef Pokutynski, with neo-baroque elements inspired by the Brussels' Maison du Peuple. It was sponsored by Prince and Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha, and completed 1931. In 1996, a new 50-pipe organ was installed in the hall, replacing an older one by Karl Schuke. It was designed and built by Klais Orgelbau of Bonn, a family-run company specializing in large-scale projects across the globe. The concert hall is home of the Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra as well as the chamber Capella Cracoviensis.” (Kraków Philharmonic, Wikipedia)

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Església de Sant Joan

Església de Sant Joan, Plaça de la Virreina, Barcelona

Església de Sant Joan
Plaça de la Virreina
Barcelona, March 2017

“Construction on this striking church began in 1878 and was completed in 1884. It was designed by Francesc Berenguer i Mestres, Gaudí's protégé, but it's believed that the interior chapel is the work of Gaudí himself (the jury is still out, however). What is certain is that Gaudí regularly worshipped here. Much of the church was damaged during the 1909 Setmana Tràgica and again in 1938, though the chapel survived unscathed, and rebuilding wrapped up in 1951.” (Església de Sant Joan, Lonely Planet)

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Via Dora

Quartiere Coppedè, Via Dora, Rome

Quartiere Coppedè
Via Dora
Rome, June 2019

“Quartiere Coppedè is an unexpected and bizarre area in Rome, nestled within the Trieste district in the northern part of the city. The fantastical mix of Ancient Greek, Roman Baroque, Mannerist, Medieval, and, overall, Art Nouveau mishmash was brought to life by Florentine architect Gino Coppedè (from whom the quarter itself takes its current name) in 1919. Coppedè worked on the quarter until his death in 1927. Though the Art Nouveau palaces of Quartiere Coppedè, featuring floral, mythological and medieval details, are abundant, there is plenty of space for the fantasies of Coppedè in this vast area.” (Quartiere Coppedè, Atlas Obscura)

Monday, November 29, 2021

Antoni Abraham

Pomnik Antoniego Abrahama (Monument to Antoni Abraham), plac Kaszubski, Gdynia

Monument to Antoni Abraham (1869-1923)
plac Kaszubski
Gdynia, September 2018

Sunday, November 28, 2021

Capsules

London Eye capsules, The Queen's Walk, South Bank, Lambeth, London

London Eye capsules
The Queen's Walk
South Bank, Lambeth
London, September 2014

Saturday, November 27, 2021

Piazza Grande

Apse of Santa Maria della Pieve, the old Tribunal Palace, and the Lay Fraternity, Piazza Grande, Arezzo

Apse of Santa Maria della Pieve, the old Tribunal Palace, and the Lay Fraternity
Piazza Grande
Arezzo, February 2021

“The Piazza Grande is the most noteworthy medieval square in the city, opening behind the 13th century Romanesque apse of Santa Maria della Pieve. Once the main marketplace of the city, it is currently the site of the Giostra del Saracino (Joust of the Saracen). It has a sloping pavement in red brick with limestone geometrical lines. Aside from the apse of the church, other landmarks of the square include the Palace of the Lay Fraternity, a 14th–15th century palazzo, with a Gothic ground floor and a quattrocento second floor by Bernardo Rossellino.” (Arezzo, Wikipedia)

Friday, November 26, 2021

Stanisław Moniuszko

Pomnik Stanisława Moniuszki (Monument to Stanisław Moniuszko), plac Teatralny, Warsaw

Pomnik Stanisława Moniuszki (Monument to Stanisław Moniuszko)
plac Teatralny
Warsaw, September 2018

“Stanisław Moniuszko (May 5, 1819 – June 4, 1872) was a Polish composer, conductor and teacher. He wrote many popular art songs and operas, and his music is filled with patriotic folk themes of the peoples of the former Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (mainly Poles, Lithuanians and Belarusians). He is generally referred to as "the father of Polish national opera". Since the 1990s Stanisław Moniuszko is being recognized in Belarus as an important figure of Belarusian culture.” (Stanisław Moniuszko, Wikipedia)

Thursday, November 25, 2021

Mossos d'Esquadra

Mossos d'Esquadra patrol car, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona

Mossos d'Esquadra patrol car
Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barceloneta
Barcelona, March 2017

“The Policia de la Generalitat de Catalunya – Mossos d'Esquadra, commonly known as the Mossos d'Esquadra Squad and informally as Mossos, is the autonomous police force responsible for law enforcement in Catalonia. They trace their origins back to squads formed in 1719.” (Mossos d'Esquadra, Wikipedia)

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Former Peroni Brewery

Ex stabilimento Birra Peroni (Former Peroni Brewery), Piazza Alessandria, Rome

Ex stabilimento Birra Peroni (Former Peroni Brewery)
Piazza Alessandria
Rome, June 2019

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Corleone

Corleone, ulica Karmelicka, Kraków

Corleone
ulica Karmelicka
Kraków, September 2018

Monday, November 22, 2021

Humanity Supporting the World

Humanity Supporting the World by Ernest Cole, County Hall, South Bank, Lambeth, London

Humanity Supporting the World by Ernest Cole, 1921
(Designed by Ralph Knott, Joseph and Peter Induni stone carvers)
County Hall
South Bank, Lambeth
London, September 2014

Sunday, November 21, 2021

Guido of Arezzo

Guido of Arezzo (Guido Monaco) by Salvino Salvini, Piazza Guido Monaco, Arezzo

Guido of Arezzo (Guido Monaco) by Salvino Salvini, 1882
Piazza Guido Monaco
Arezzo, February 2021

“Guido of Arezzo (c. 991 – after 1033) was an Italian music theorist and pedagogue of the medieval era. He is regarded as the inventor of modern staff notation that replaced neumatic notation. His text, the Micrologus, was the second most widely distributed treatise on music in the Middle Ages (after the writings of Boethius). Guido was a Benedictine monk from the Italian city-state of Arezzo. Recent research has dated his Micrologus to 1025 or 1026; since Guido stated in a letter that he was thirty-four when he wrote it, his birthdate is presumed to be around 991 or 992. His early career was spent at the monastery of Pomposa, on the Adriatic coast near Ferrara. While there, he noted the difficulty that singers had in remembering Gregorian chants. He came up with a method for teaching the singers to learn chants in a short time, and quickly became famous throughout north Italy. However, around 1025 he attracted the hostility of the other monks at the abbey who resisted his musical innovations, prompting him to move to Arezzo, a town which had no abbey, but which did have a large group of cathedral singers, whose training Bishop Tedald invited him to conduct.” (Guido of Arezzo, Wikipedia)

Saturday, November 20, 2021

Institute of Meteorology

Instytut Meteorologii i Gospodarki Wodnej. Oddział Morski, Institute of Meteorology and Water Management. Maritime Branch, Jerzego Waszyngtona, Gdynia

Instytut Meteorologii i Gospodarki Wodnej. Oddział Morski
(Institute of Meteorology and Water Management. Maritime Branch)
Jerzego Waszyngtona
Gdynia, September 2018

Friday, November 19, 2021

La Pampa

La Pampa” steak house, Passeig Joan Borbó Comte Barceló, Barceloneta, Barcelona

“La Pampa” steak house
Passeig Joan Borbó Comte Barceló, Barceloneta
Barcelona, March 2017

Thursday, November 18, 2021

Schweizergarde

Swiss Guard, St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, Rome

Swiss Guard
St. Peter's Basilica
Vatican City
Rome, June 2019

“The Pontifical Swiss Guard (also Papal Swiss Guard or simply Swiss Guard; Latin: Pontificia Cohors Helvetica; Italian: Guardia Svizzera Pontificia; German: Päpstliche Schweizergarde; French: Garde suisse pontificale; Romansh: Guardia svizra papala) is a minor armed force and honour guard unit maintained by the Holy See that protects the Pope and the Apostolic Palace within the territory of the Vatican City. Established in 1506 under Pope Julius II, the Pontifical Swiss Guard is among the oldest military units in continuous operation. The dress uniform is of blue, red, orange and yellow with a distinctly Renaissance appearance. The Swiss Guard are equipped with traditional weapons, such as the halberd, as well as with modern firearms. Since the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in 1981, a much stronger emphasis has been placed on the Guard's non-ceremonial roles, and has seen enhanced training in unarmed combat and small arms. Recruits to the guards must be unmarried Swiss Catholic males between 18 and 30 years of age who have completed basic training with the Swiss Armed Forces. The unit's security mission is complemented by the Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City.” (Swiss Guard, Wikipedia)

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Józef Poniatowski

Statue of Prince Józef Poniatowski by Bertel Thorvaldsen, Pałac Prezydencki (Presidential Palace), Krakowskie Przedmieście, Warsaw

Statue of Prince Józef Poniatowski by Bertel Thorvaldsen, 1817
Pałac Prezydencki (Presidential Palace)
Krakowskie Przedmieście
Warsaw, September 2018

“The Prince Józef Poniatowski Monument in Warsaw (Polish: Pomnik księcia Józefa Poniatowskiego w Warszawie) is a monument currently located at 46/48 Krakowskie Przedmieście in the courtyard of the Presidential Palace. Created by Rome-based Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen in 1829, it depicts Józef Poniatowski (1763–1813) riding and horse and dressed as Roman general. The statue depicts Prince Józef Poniatowski (1763–1813) riding a horse and holding a sword in his right hand. The figure of the prince is modeled on the monument of Marcus Aurelius from the Roman Capitoline Hill. The monument's creation was at the behest of Polish aristocracy. Polish aristocrat and diarist Anna Potocka obtained permission from the Tsar to place the monument in front of the Governor's Palace (which is now the Presidential Palace). The monument was commissioned in 1817 from Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen. In 1829, in Warsaw, he presented a life-size plaster model in classicist form. The project was not well received by critics and the public who were expecting to see the warrior clad in the armour of a soldier, while Thorvaldsen introduced him as a half-naked Roman general. Based on the model, Klaudiusz and Emil Gregoire's foundry in Długa Street in Warsaw made a bronze cast which was completed in August, 1832. Meanwhile, as a result of the failed November Uprising, Russian consent for the placement of the monument had been withdrawn as part of the Tsar's sanctions against Poland, which was confirmed by a special order in 1834. The finished cast was first taken to the Modlin Fortress, where the sculpture was originally regarded as the patron of the fortress, St. George. In 1836, the monument was dismantled and placed in 10 boxes in the fortress. In 1840, the monument was assembled again, and during an inspection of the fortress by Tsar Nicholas I, it was decided to scrap the monument, but he changed his mind. Later in 1840, the statue was taken to Dęblin, and in 1842 to the Paskevich Palace in Gomel. The monument adorned the palace in Gomel from 1842 to 1922. In Warsaw, a monument to Ivan Paskevich (by sculptors Nikolai Pimienov and Aleksander von Bock) was unveiled in 1870, at the site where Prince Józef Poniatowski's monument was meant to be. Paskevich's statue was pulled down in 1917, when Poland regained independence. The monument to Prince Józef Poniatowski returned to independent Poland in 1922, as part of the recovery of monuments and works of art under the Treaty of Riga. It originally stood in the courtyard of the Royal Castle, and from 1923, in Saxon Square, on a pedestal designed by Aleksander Bojemski in front of the Saxon Palace and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The unveiling ceremony for the monument was associated with the arrival and appointment of Ferdinand Foch as a Marshal of Poland. The monument was blown up on December 16, 1944, on the orders of German General Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski. A new cast of the sculpture, made from 1948 to 1951, based on a model at the Thorvaldsen Museum in Copenhagen, was made by Poul Lauritz Rasmussen, and donated to Warsaw by the Kingdom of Denmark. On February 23, 1952, the monument was placed in front of the Old Orangery (Stara Pomarańczarnia) in Łazienki Park, and in 1965 it was moved to the courtyard of the Presidential Palace where it is today. The remains of the original sculpture, found in April 1945, in the ruins of the Lilpop factory, are exhibited in the Freedom Park at the Warsaw Uprising Museum. Thorvaldsen's original plaster model is on display in the Thorvaldsen Museum in Copenhagen.” (Józef Poniatowski Monument, Wikipedia)

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Bronze horse heads

Bronze horse heads with chains, County Hall, South Bank, Lambeth, London

Bronze horse heads with chains
County Hall
South Bank, Lambeth
London, September 2014

“The first architectural sculptures to be commissioned for County Hall were the ornamental bronze mooring-rings of horses' and lions' heads on the embankment wall. As has already been mentioned, these were modelled by the sculptor Gilbert Bayes (1872–1953), brother of Walter John Bayes, the Principal of the Westminster School of Art. Bayes, who worked extensively for the Lambeth firm of Doulton, was an exponent of the 'New Sculpture' and interested in the use of mixed media. Knott had suggested him for the embankment wall job, and in October 1909 he was one of three artists invited to submit models for the mooring-rings or ‘dolphins’, the others being Courtney Pollock and Hubert Paton. Not surprisingly, Knott preferred Bayes's model. The casting was carried out by J. W. Singer & Sons, who regularly worked for Hamo Thornycroft and other prominent sculptors. In 1911 the Builder published a drawing by Knott's assistant, J. R. Leathart, of one of the two horse's heads. In 1910 Bayes exhibited his ‘Sigurd’ at the Royal Academy, and it was bought by the Chantrey Bequest and is now in the Tate Gallery. ” (Architectual sculpture and decorative treatment, Survey of London Monograph 17, County Hall)

Monday, November 15, 2021

Duomo di Arezzo

Duomo di Arezzo (Arezzo Cathedral), Piazza del Duomo, Arezzo

Duomo di Arezzo (Arezzo Cathedral)
Piazza del Duomo
Arezzo, February 2021

“Arezzo Cathedral (Duomo di Arezzo, Cattedrale di Ss. Donato e Pietro) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of Arezzo in Tuscany, Italy. It is located on the site of a pre-existing Palaeo-Christian church and, perhaps, of the ancient city's acropolis. The first cathedral of Arezzo was built on the nearby Pionta Hill, over the burial place of Donatus of Arezzo, martyred in 363. In 1203 Pope Innocent III had the cathedral moved within the city's walls, to the current site. The cathedral however lost the relics of Donatus, which were transferred to the church of San Donato in Castiglione Messer Raimondo (in what is now the province of Teramo). In spite of this, the cathedral is still dedicated to Saint Donatus and at the high altar houses a 14th-century arch named after him.” (Arezzo Cathedral, Wikipedia)

Sunday, November 14, 2021

Jan Paweł II

Bust of Jan Paweł II Papież (Pope John Paul II)  by Karol Badyna, ulica Świętej Anny, Stare Miasto (Old Town), Kraków

Bust of Jan Paweł II Papież (Pope John Paul II) by Karol Badyna
ulica Świętej Anny
Stare Miasto (Old Town)
Kraków, September 2018

Saturday, November 13, 2021

Sant Miquel del Port

Sant Miquel del Port, Carrer de Sant Miquel, Barceloneta, Barcelona

Església de Sant Miquel del Port (Iglesia de San Miguel del Puerto)
Carrer de Sant Miquel, Barceloneta
Barcelona, March 2017

“Dating from 1755, this sober baroque church was the first building completed in Barceloneta. Built low so that the cannon in the then Ciutadella fort could fire over it if necessary, it was damaged by Leftists in 1936 and restored in 1992. Its sculpture of St Michael (Sant Miquel) has attracted controversy for its depiction of the archangel as a bodybuilder. Also adorning the facade are sculptures of two other saints considered protectors of the Catalan fishing fleet: Sant Elm and Santa Maria de Cervelló. Ferdinand Lesseps, the French engineer who designed the Suez Canal, did a stint as France's consul-general in Barcelona and lived in the house to the right of the church.” (Església de Sant Miquel del Port, Lonely Planet)

Friday, November 12, 2021

Statue of St. Peter

Statue of St. Peter by Arnolfo di Cambio, St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, Rome

Statue of St. Peter by Arnolfo di Cambio, c.1300
St. Peter's Basilica
Vatican City
Rome, June 2019

“The famous bronze statue of St. Peter is placed against the pillar of St. Longinus, above an alabaster base that was executed in 1757 by Carlo Marchionni. In this statue St. Peter is seated on a marble see from the early Renaissance, dressed with the philosophical stole, with his left hand holding the keys close to his chest and the right raised in the act of blessing. His right foot protrudes from the previously mentioned base, which is worn by the kisses of the devout. The identification of the author but also of its exact epoch, is a ‘vexata quaestio’ which has yet to be resolved, with datings ranging between the fifth, or even fourth century and the 13th or 14th centuries. Tradition has it that the statue was commissioned by St. Leo the Great, as a token of gratitude for defeating Attila, and that it used the metal from the statue by Giove Capitolino. But, in reality, the oldest historical information about the work dates back only to the 15th century. Currently, the almost unanimous opinion is that the Vatican bronze statue dates back to the late 13th century and more specifically to the restricted environment of Arnolfo di Cambio, the artist who created the tabernacles of St. Paul and St. Cecilia, and the sacellum of Bonifacius VIII in the Constantinian Basilica.” (Statue of St. Peter, St. Peter's Basilica - A Virtual Tour)