Wednesday, August 26, 2015

A Fantasy of a Flower Room


I don't mind black and white photography, but there are times when I find it maddening.  Take, for the example, the photos of this gem of a flower room, which was painted in trompe l'oeil.  How can one truly appreciate trompe l'oeil paintwork without seeing its colors?

Despite these limitations, the photos, which appeared in Classical America IV, still manage to capture the room's immense charm.  According to the accompanying text, the room, which was located off of a residential garden and used for flower arranging, was painted by decorative artist Hight Moore.  (No mention is made of where in America this room was located nor when Moore painted it.)  Together, the artist and the homeowner conceived a space where the Rococo style- or, at least, a trompe l'oeil version of it- runs rampant.  Other than an existing door frame, chair rail, and single half-round molding at the ceiling, the architectural embellishments have been painted on by Moore.

Of course, what the photos don't capture are the colors that Moore used, so I'll simply quote from the article:

Against the white of the walls, the trompe l'oeil architectural details, i.e., the dado, cornice, ceiling panels, etc., are in a pale mauve, with the actual door frames and back splash of the sink in faux marbre of mottled lilac.  The rocaille-and-vine motifs are in a strong green, as are the rocaille frames of the two reliefs, the one over the door and the other over the sink.  The details of the reliefs are white, like the stove, against a soft terra cotta background which echoes the brick floor.

So there you have it- a flower room whose sense of fun and fantasy is evident, even when presented in black and white. 





12 comments:

  1. A triumph of illusionist art; Mme. de Pompadour would feel right at home. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Indeed, she would have felt right at home.

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  2. carolyn quartermaine9:26 AM

    lovely

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    1. Carolyn, I agree, and I'm quite disappointed that I don't have the space in my home to have just such a room.

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  3. Beautiful, a room in which I would love to spend a lot of time!

    xoxo
    Karena
    The Arts by Karena
    Artist Alex Katz

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  4. Alix Jacobs12:04 PM

    Saving this one! Hope to do something much like it for someone! :)

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    1. Alix, Knowing your work, I am certain that your version will be just as lovely.

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  5. sounds divine + I too wish we could see it in all it's glory. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

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    1. Peggy, Yes, it's too bad we have to rely on the text for indication of colors.

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  6. You've struck a chord here, when you write that black and white photography can have its maddening aspects!
    Yet once the particulars of this room were described so precisely, it wasn't all that difficult to imagine it in full colour.
    And what a glorious job of trompe l'oeil it is-- both historicist and playful.
    I recall seeing Hight Moore's apartment featured in AD several decades ago; and later on, a friend who visited Mr Moore
    told of its atmosphere and the generous personality of the artist himself.

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    1. Toby, I was planning to research Mr. Moore's work. Your comment makes me even more eager to do so.

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