Large Interior Form

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“Large Interior Form” by Henry Moore, 1982
Piazza della Signoria
Florence, December 2022

“It was produced in a bronze edition of six, which was first created as part of a larger work in the 1950s, and only cast as a separate work from 1981 onwards, and catalogued as LH 297b. It began as the interior component of the artist's Large Upright Internal/External Form (LH 297a), but Moore much later decided the piece worked well by itself. The artist's copy was lent in 2011 by the Henry Moore Foundation to the Snape Maltings, in Suffolk. Others are at the Art Institute of Chicago, in an outdoor setting at the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, MO. These sculptures measure 16 feet 3 inches × 561⁄4 inches × 561⁄4 inches (495.3 × 142.88 × 142.88 cm). Moore used to take pride in viewing his sculptures in the open air environment. Kunsthalle Würth at Schwabisch Hall in Germany and Trinity University in Texas are among the other locations that have Large Interior Form on public display outdoors.” (Large Interior Form, 1953–54, Wikipedia)

Reina Mariana

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“Reina Mariana” by Manolo Valdés, 2005
Calle de San Vicente Mártir
Valencia, September 2022

“Spanish artist Manolo Valdés began his artistic career at age of 15, using Spain’s rich history of art, influenced by European and African forms, to shape his early works. During the 1960s, he co-founded Equipo Crónica, an artistic team that used Pop Art to question the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, who suppressed his country’s social and cultural life between 1939 and 1975. After the group dissolved in 1981, as Spain awoke from its enforced slumber, Valdés reinvented his work creating the figurative, expressive style centered on art historical motifs in drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture. Reina Mariana (Queen Mariana) is part of Valdés’s most famous series of sculptures, based on Spanish artist Diego Velázquez’s Queen Mariana (1652-1653), a portrait of the second wife of Felipe IV. Velázquez was the chronicler of court life for the King and his family, capturing them at a time when Spain’s imperial power stretched across the globe. Mariana, from the Austrian Hapsburg family, was well known to be an unhappy participant in her adopted country’s life. The voluminous and starched costume of the regal Spanish aristocracy holds her upright and rigid, like a bird caught in a cage. Valdés pays homage to one of his country’s most iconic painters and subjects, while commenting upon the life of those who serve subservient roles in history.” (Reina Mariana, Google Arts & Culture)

Hay's on the River

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Hay's on the River
Hay's Galleria
Battle Bridge Lane, Southwark
London, May 2023

“Situated in the heart of Hay's Galleria, overlooking the Thames, you will find Hay's on the River. This is a cocktail, draught beer, pizza and Instagram hotspot you won't want to miss. Decorated seasonally, Hay's invite you to join them for a drink under a heater in the winter Alpine Bar, and a walk along the river in the summer, stopping off for a refreshing Aperol spritz.” (Hay's on the River, DesignMyNight)

Chianineria

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Chianineria - Trattoria dall'Oste
Via dei Cerchi
Florence, December 2022

Puerta de Bisagra Nueva

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View from the inside
Puerta de Bisagra Nueva (New Bisagra Gate)
Calle Real del Arrabal
Toledo, September 2022

“The Puerta de Bisagra Nueva (The New Bisagra Gate) is the best known city gate of Toledo, Spain. The gate is of Moorish origin, but the main part was built in 1559 by Alonso de Covarrubias. It carries the coat of arms of the emperor Charles V. It superseded the Puerta Bisagra Antigua as the main entrance to the city.” (Puerta de Bisagra Nueva, Wikipedia)

Bishop's Hall

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Bishop's Hall
Red Cross Garden
Redcross Way, Southwark
London, May 2023

“Adjacent to Redcross Cottages is the community hall, originally called Red Cross Hall, and now called Bishop's Hall, and in private ownership. In 1889 Hill and Hoole commissioned Walter Crane to decorate the interior with ten deeds of heroism in the daily life of ordinary people, of which three were executed and survive.” (Red Cross Garden, Wikipedia)

Santissima Annunziata

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Basilica della Santissima Annunziata (Basilica of the Most Holy Annunciation)
Piazza Santissima Annunziata
Florence, December 2022

“The Basilica della Santissima Annunziata (Basilica of the Most Holy Annunciation) is a Renaissance-style, Catholic minor basilica in Florence, region of Tuscany, Italy. This is considered the mother church of the Servite Order. It is located at the northeastern side of the Piazza Santissima Annunziata near the city center.” (Santissima Annunziata, Wikipedia)

Museo de América

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Museo de América (Museum of America)
Avenida de los Reyes Católicos
Madrid, September 2022

“The Museo de América (Museum of America) is a Spanish national museum of arts, archaeology and ethnography in Madrid. Its collections cover the whole of the Americas and range from the Paleolithic period to the present day. It is owned by the Spanish State and its initial pieces came from the former collection of American archaeological and ethnographic artifacts from the National Archaeological Museum, also exhibiting a number of unrelated donations, deposits and purchases. The institution was founded via a decree from 19 April 1941 and opened in 1944 inside the building hosting the National Archaeological Museum. After all the initial pieces were moved to a newly built premises in the Ciudad Universitaria, the building was thus inaugurated on 12 October 1965. After a series of refurbishment works on the building (previously shared with a number of unrelated institutions), the museum was reopened on 12 October 1994, this time while holding the exclusivity on the use of the building. As part of preparation for the re-opening, a collecting programme was established, with Dominican and Haitian artefacts sourced by the anthropologist Soraya Aracena.” (Museo de América, Wikipedia)

Mosaic roundel

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“The Sower” mosaic roundel by James Powell and Sons, 1896
Red Cross Garden
Redcross Way, Southwark
London, May 2023

“Two mosaics were donated by the Myatt's Fields philanthropist Julia Minet and installed by Hill in 1896. The mosaics were ‘The Sower’, by the glass-makers James Powell and Sons after a design by Louisa, Marchioness of Waterford, and ‘The Good Shepherd’, by Antonio Salviati. ‘The Good Shepherd’ has since been lost, but ‘The Sower’ survives, having been restored first in 1956 and again in 2005. It is now mounted on a modern building, Octavia House (occupied by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine), which is built on the former children's play area.” (Red Cross Garden, Wikipedia)

Cloister of Sant'Apollonia

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Former cloister of Sant'Apollonia
Via Santa Reparata
Florence, December 2022

“Sant'Apollonia was a former Benedictine convent, founded in 1339, just north of the center of Florence, in Italy. Some of the remaining structures are demarcated on three sides by via Ventisette Aprile, via Santa Reparata, and Via San Gallo, located about a block west of Piazza San Marco, just north of the city center. The structures of the convent, suppressed since the 19th-century, are now put to different uses. The small church building is still present on the corner of Via Ventisette Aprile and San Gallo.” (Sant'Apollonia, Wikipedia)

Plaza de la Compañía

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Triunfo de San Rafael and bell tower of Santo Domingo de Silos
Plaza de la Compañía
Córdoba, September 2022

“According to popular tradition, when Córdoba suffered a devastating plague epidemic in the 16th century, it was the intervention of Saint Raphael, who appeared to Father Roelas in a dream, that saved the city. Since then, the so-called Triumphs of San Rafael began to be erected, next to the city gates and in the historic neighborhoods, columns crowned by a commemorative statue to honor the custodian of Córdoba, the triumph that presides over the Plaza de la Compañía being one of the most outstanding. The monument, built in the 18th century thanks to donations from the faithful, coexists in the square with other notable buildings, such as the Iglesia de la Compañía, the main building in the square, or the Church of Santo Domingo de Silos, which currently houses the Provincial Historical Archive. This function is not coincidental, since this building is intertwined with the history of Córdoba, as it functioned as the headquarters of the Tertulia Patriótica held following the proclamation of the Constitution of 1812.” (Plaza de la Compañía, Ayuntamiento de Córdoba)

Red Cross Garden

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Red Cross Garden
Redcross Way, Southwark
London, May 2023

“Red Cross Garden is a small park in Southwark, London. It is located on Redcross Way, and named after the street, although the name of the garden is spelt with two words while the street is spelt with one. It is in the London Borough of Southwark. The garden and the associated cottages designed by Elijah Hoole form an early example of one of Octavia Hill’s social housing schemes.” (Red Cross Garden, Wikipedia)

Basilica of San Lorenzo

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Basilica of San Lorenzo
Piazza di San Lorenzo
Florence, December 2022

“The Basilica di San Lorenzo (Basilica of St. Lawrence) is one of the largest churches of Florence, Italy, situated at the centre of the main market district of the city, and it is the burial place of all the principal members of the Medici family from Cosimo il Vecchio to Cosimo III. It is one of several churches that claim to be the oldest in Florence, having been consecrated in 393 AD, at which time it stood outside the city walls. For three hundred years it was the city's cathedral, before the official seat of the bishop was transferred to Santa Reparata.” (Basilica of San Lorenzo, Wikipedia)

Avenida de Europa

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Avenida de Europa
Isla de La Cartuja
Seville, September 2022

“The European Union, and Nations of the European Union - were all located along the Avenue of Europe, which featured twelve massive white-coloured towers, and a central multi-coloured tower featuring the flags of the (then) twelve nations of the European Union - which underground hosted the European Union Pavilion itself. The rest of the pavilions of the Union were located at the left and right flank of the Avenue.” (Seville Expo '92, Wikipedia)

Our Lady, Queen of Heaven

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Our Lady, Queen of Heaven
Queensway
London, May 2023

“A tall, double galleried former Nonconformist church, designed on a horseshoe plan. Originally built for the United Methodist Free Church, it was used by the West London Ethical Society and the West London Unitarian Fellowship, before being converted to Catholic use in 1954. The fitting out is largely modern. Externally, the Gothic Revival design stands out amidst the brick and stucco terraces of Queensway.The church was built in 1868 for the United Methodist Free Church, replacing a small Wesleyan Methodist chapel of 1828. The architect is not known. In 1909, the building was sold to the West London Ethical Society who rented it from about 1946 to the West London Unitarian Fellowship. In March 1954, it was bought for £22,000 (plus £1,000 for the organ) by Fr Horace Tennant, Superior of St Mary of the Angels, Bayswater. It was opened for Catholic use by Cardinal Griffin on 12 September 1954. Queensway became an independent parish in 1973. In the early 1990s, the hall was refurbished and renamed Carpenter Hall, after Fr Philip Carpenter, the first parish priest.In 2000-02, the architect Gerald Murphy oversaw the refurbishment and reordering of the church (cost: £300,000). This included the removal of a 1920s sloping floor and its replacement by a new floor at the original level, the removal of the altar rails, new pews, new sanctuary furniture (including a freestanding altar to replace the old wall-fixed one), a reconciliation room within a former light well, a new organ and a new lighting system. The church was consecrated by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor on 21 April 2002.” (Our Lady Queen of Heaven, Taking Stock)

47 rosso

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Bas-relief of a fish
Borgo San Lorenzo
Florence, December 2022

Santos Juanes

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Church of the Santos Juanes, rear (apse) facade
Plaza del Mercado
Valencia, September 2022

“Santos Juanes or Sant Joan del Mercat is a Roman Catholic church located in the Mercat neighborhood of the city of Valencia, Spain. The church is also denominated the Real Parroquia de los Santos Juanes (Royal Parish of the St Johns) or San Juan del Mercado (Sant Joan del Mercat in Valencian or St John of the Market) due to its location adjacent to the city Central Market and facing the Llotja de la Seda building. By the mid-13th century, a church was built atop the site of a former mosque, initially in a Gothic style; however, fires in the 14th century necessitated reconstruction. A major fire in 1592 led to another reconstruction, commissioned by the Archbishop and Viceroy Juan de Ribera in an exuberant Baroque style completed in 1700. This was located in the Boatella neighborhood, then working class quarters, outside the town walls, that housed some of the Morisco population. The main facade of the church retains a walled-up oculus of a rose window from the older church. The square exterior of the apse, facing the piazza, houses a central niche decorated with a stucco statuary group of the Virgen del Rosario (Virgin of the Rosary) attributed to Jacopo Bertesi. The group display the Virgin and Child (his hand on the globe) ensconced in a burst of rays, angels, and cherubs. Other portals contain the symbols of John the Baptist (lamb) and John the Evangelist (eagle). The center is surmounted by a clock tower, and a roofline dominated by statues of the Juanes: including the Baptist, the Evangelist, and Saints Francesco Borgia and Luis Bertrán. This facade includes profuse complex iconography including a lamb atop a book with five seals.” (Santos Juanes, Wikipedia)

Speke Monument

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Speke Monument by Philip Hardwick, 1866
Kensington Gardens
London, May 2023

“John Hanning Speke (1827-1864) was the Victorian explorer who discovered the source of the Nile. However, his discovery was surrounded by contention. He died on the very eve of a crucial debate about it with Sir Richard Burton, when his own shotgun went off during a partridge shoot. Some thought Speke might have committed suicide. At any rate, Sir Roderick Murchison, President of the Royal Geographical Society, who had called for the debate, now called for a monument to be erected by public subscription in this prominent location — not far from the RGS's present headquarters on Kensington Gore. Over 2000 mourners had attended Speke's funeral, and advertisements for subscriptions were placed even in the Delhi Gazette in India (see Godsall 256). Nevertheless, it was hard to garner the funds. When at last the monument was erected, no unveiling was reported either in The Times or in the Royal Geographical Society's own journal. In 1855, Philip Hardwick had designed a similar monument for another adventurer who had met a tragic end — Lieutenant Bellot. Clearly, obelisk-style memorials were still in vogue. On Speke's, the inscription reads: In memory of Speke / Victoria Nyanza / and the Nile / 1864. This avoids crediting him with the actual discovery of the river's source. Speke's claim was later vindicated, and a more informative ground plaque was finally placed in front of the monument in 1995.” (Speke Monument, The Victorian Web)

No entry

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No entry sign hacked by Clet Abraham
Via degli Strozzi
Florence, December 2022

“‘Street art, or guerilla art, needs to be reinvented in dialogue with the Renaissance city,’ says Clet Abraham, the French-born artist who has come into the public eye for his surprising interventions in public spaces. I sat down with him to learn more about his project and to discuss the role of street art in Florence. You may not know it, but you've probably seen work by Clet out on the streets. Since last summer, he's been conducting night-time blitzes to alter traffic signs: a silhouette of a man carrying away the no-entry bar; a dead-end ‘T’ sign becomes a pietà or a crucifix. The figure is created with a black sticker that is easily removable.” (CLET, The Florentine)

Santa Leocadia

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Church of Santa Leocadia
Calle Santa Leocadia
Toledo, September 2022

“The Church of St Leocadia (Iglesia de Santa Leocadia) is a medieval church located in Toledo, in Castile-La Mancha, Spain. Toledan tradition maintains that this church was built on the site of the house where Saint Leocadia of Toledo was born. This house supposedly had a small underground room, where it is affirmed that she prayed. This cave corresponds to the crypt located next to the right pillar of the presbytery and is covered with a plaster rib vault, which can be dated to the first half of the 16th century. Both the present church and the tower are in the Toledan variant of the Mudéjar style and are datable, in their older parts, to the end of the 13th century. However, there is reason to assume that there existed an earlier building. The parish of "Santa Leocadia within Toledo" (see note1) is mentioned in documents from the middle of the 12th century. In the tower and on the façade of the church are preserved, embedded, some fragments of reliefs in Visigothic style. There are only references to think that the primitive arrangement was that of an isolated building, separated from the Monastery of Santo Domingo el Antiguo by a street that was suppressed, in times of Alfonso X of Castile, when extending that convent.” (Church of Santa Leocadia, Wikipedia)

The Wild Table of Love

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“The Wild Table of Love” by Gillie and Marc, 2022
Paternoster Square, City of London
London, May 2023

“We were walking past St Paul's Cathedral the other day, when we noticed a zebra dining with a lion and and giraffe. This isn't a PR stunt for a new Madagascar movie, but a temporary art installation. Called Wild Table of Love, the huge tableau features a circle of bronze animals tucking into platefuls of food. It's the most bonkers banquet since the Mad Hatter's tea party... and it, too, includes a rabbit. That rabbit may give you a clue to the sculptors. This is the work of Gillie and Marc, whose Rabbitwoman and Dogman sculptures are frequent visitors to our city. The prolific duo are also behind the chimp sculptures near London Bridge, and the recent exhibition of bronze lions near Waterloo. This new installation is endearing, to say the least. Two seats at the table have been left free, so that passers-by can sit down with the animals and enjoy the mock repast. Besides the rabbit and dog, the table features 10 of the most beloved mammals on the planet, including several endangered species.” (See the ‘Wild Table of Love’ Animal Sculpture in Paternoster Square, Londonist)

Louis Vuitton Firenze

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Christmas tree
Louis Vuitton Firenze
Via dei Sassetti
Florence, December 2022

Faro de Moncloa

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Faro de Moncloa (Moncloa's Lighthouse)
Avenida de la Memoria
Madrid, September 2022

“As the expression goes From Madrid to Heaven, because once you've been to Madrid the only place that can top it is paradise itself. Enjoy the city from up high, taking in the wonderful views the Faro de Moncloa affords. Step into the panoramic lift that takes you up 92 metres to the observation deck which stands tall over the heart of Madrid's Ciudad Universitaria. This former transmission tower was built by architect Salvador Pérez Arroyo in 1992, the year in which the city was named European Capital of Culture, and stands at 110 metres tall.” (Faro de Moncloa, Turismo Madrid)

Christ's Hospital Memorial

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Christ's Hospital Memorial by Andrew F. Brown, 2017
Christchurch Greyfriars Church Garden
King Edward Street, City of London
London, May 2023

“A sculpture in the Christchurch Greyfriars Church Garden commemorating Christ’s Hospital School’s 350 years presence in the City of London, 1552-1902, was unveiled on 6 November 2017 by Alderman Sir Alan Yarrow (former Lord Mayor and member of the School’s governing Council). The sculpture, by Andrew F. Brown was selected following an open competition run by The City of London Corporation. The finished bronze, cast at The Bronze Age Foundry in London, is 2.4m long and 1.5m high and is mounted on the wall of the garden.” (Christ’s Hospital memorial sculpture, Layers of London)

Old-fashioned carousel

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Old-fashioned carousel
Piazza della Repubblica
Florence, December 2022

Iglesia de Santa Victoria

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Church of Santa Victoria
Calle Santa Victoria
Córdoba, September 2022

“The church of Santa Victoria, a unique example of Cordoban Neo-classical style, is situated near the Plaza de la Compañía. The building dates from the late 18th century and is the work of the French architect Baltasar Dreveton. The imposing entrance is made up of an impressive curved portico held up by six columns in the Composite order, cornice and triangular pediment, in the middle of which can be seen the coat of arms of the founder, Bishop Francisco Pacheco. The church interior is in the round with sixteen Corinthian columns holding up the roof. The are five altars: the main altar is made from gold-painted wood, and features a statue of the patron saint, Santa Victoria, martyr and patron saint of Cordoba, by Gómez de Sandoval. Most of the paintings decorating the interior are by Francisco Agustín Grande, the Neo-classical painter. Out of the many interesting artistic works, there is one sculpture called los Secretos (the Secrets), because thanks to the acoustic properties of the dome, someone speaking very quietly in an alcove on one side can be heard perfectly by someone standing on the opposite side.” (Church of Santa Victoria, Turismo de Córdoba)

40 Great Eastern Street

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Corner building
40 Great Eastern Street
Shoreditch
London, May 2023

I' Barrocciaio

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I' Barrocciaio
Piazza Salvemini
Florence, December 2022

Esfera Bioclimática Expo92

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Esfera Bioclimática Expo92
Calle Marie Curie
Seville, September 2022

“The bioclimatic sphere located on Marie Curie Street, on Isla de la Cartuja, remains one of the most recognizable icons of the 1992 Universal Exhibition in Seville. Of the old exhibition site, at least half of its pavilions and many of them have found new business, educational and research uses. Some were architectural landmarks of those days, but none bring the Expo to our memories as much as this giant green ball. In reality, the bioclimatic sphere had no monumental aspiration. It was part of the microclimate system that helped to cope with the harshest months of heat, spreading water vapor to cool walkers along with a system of fountains, the way we still see today in some gazebos and terraces in Seville. By reproducing the Expo 92 logo in large size, and by remaining in its original place after more than two decades, it represents like few buildings and urban fixtures the desire to build a new city, fresh, imaginative, as well as functional.” (Esfera bioclimática, Sevilla City Centre)

The Cash machine

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“The Cash machine” by Otto Schade, 2021
Plough Yard, Shoreditch
London, May 2023

“In August 2021 I painted a spot at NV. Barbers in Shoreditch High Street, London. A Royal Guard playing the rifle (instead of the flute), trying to make the sort of snake dance (money notes roll). And with the melody, the notes follow the flow to get into a crystal box, ready for people to withdraw some money from the ATM Cash machine.” (The Cash machine, Otto Schade)

Semel

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Semel Street Food
Piazza Ghiberti
Florence, December 2022

“Gambero Rosso, Italy’s leading food, dining culture, news and wine publication powerhouse, came out with the 2017 edition of its street food guide to Italy and guess who touts the title for Tuscany? Marco Paparozzi’s Semel in Florence. Semel serves just panini and wine- and a few forgotten old-fashioned Italian sodas like Tassoni Cedrata and Chinotto. Water is served as a last resort. Marco has been officially recognized for having the best street food in Tuscany- by the most food and drink culture publication in the country. This tiny humble panini shop in Sant’Ambrogio, by now an institution for locals and culinarians alike, sits perched on the market’s doorstep. He creates distinctly flavored fillings that are based on Tuscany’s culinary identity- not just your usual salami and cheese carb stack. Think stewed boar, porchetta with robust winter greens, pork loin with candied tomatoes, wild boar ragù taglierini or tortelli pasta (carb on carb), saffron laced chicken and more. The offerings change daily/with the season but you’ll always find some fillings as permanent fixtures such as the truffle, pear and pecorino, And all of this served with soulful humor by Marco and his nephew Niccolo, dressed dapper daily in dress shirts, ties and pins- even in the summer.” (Semel, Curious Appetite)