Monday, July 21, 2014

Fantastic Voyage


Did you read last week's New York Times article, "Reclaiming Our (Real) Lives from Social Media"? I share the frustration felt by the article's author, Nick Bilton,  over time spent- and wasted- on social media.  What starts out as a quick morning check-in on Instagram or Facebook turns into an hour-long slog through status updates, sundry thoughts, and links to random websites.  As Bilton so aptly put it, "Yet I am blaming the Internet for sucking people into a cacophony of links, videos and pictures that are constantly being dangled in their faces like some sort of demented digital carrot on a stick."  Here, here.

While I try hard to avoid those labyrinthine visits to social media sites, I have no such qualms about time spent researching on the Internet.  Those twists, turns, and tunnels through which such research leads me usually result in my learning about places with which I am not familiar.  They also lead me to some really great photos.  And that was exactly what happened when I recently searched for German and Austrian porcelain rooms.  One room led to another, and before I knew it, I had spent close to two hours studying- and coveting- these paeans to porcelain.  But whereas I typically leave social media sites with not much to show for it, here I ended up with some beautiful photos, not to mention a bad case of wanderlust.



Schlossmuseum Oranienburg, Oranienburg, Germany




Porcelain Gallery at Schlossmuseum Arnstadt, Germany



Room of the Sibyls, Altenburg Palace, Germany



Neue Kammern, Park Sanssouci, Germany




Porcelain Cabinet, Schloss Eggenberg, Austria




Porcelain Collection at Zwinger Palace, Dresden, Germany; the design of the porcelain galleries was the handiwork of Peter Marino.


Porcelain Room, Schloss Charlottenburg, Germany

13 comments:

  1. Wow! I am in love with this! Thank you so much for sharing, I love your blog!

    Love,
    Jamie Herzlinger

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  2. so glad you posted the images + hmmm will have to go to Germany. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

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  3. Jennifer,
    What a timely post! It's such an inspiration to go back and visit these deliciously decadent, aristocratic palaces and the decorations within. To make it understood by the average American, those porcelain rooms were the "home theater" of the 18th century! We stare at a flat screen, they stared at fabulous porcelain collections! I think, if I had to choose just one, it would be Sanssouci- Thanks for posting, and also for the recanting of the NYT piece on too much social media- ! Perhaps social media is our version of doing petit point by the fireside?

    Dean Farris

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  4. The pratfalls of Social Media can easily be avoided. Those amusing but non-relevant posts will still be available later if one choses to devote the time to go back and read them. But the treasures are abundant and just at one's fingertips. (How many hours during earlier times were spent going through card catalogs and microfilm only to often come up with nothing?).

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  5. The first and last images of The Chinoiserie Pagoda is a verbatim copy of the ARCHITECTURALWATERCOLORS.COM rendering of a Garden Tent for Marie Antoinette at the Petit Trianon, sadly never built. Interesting too see it was and by Peter Marino in a Palace no less!
    As I own the original rendering, I will forward this to Bernd and Andrew whom I'm sure already know of this interpretation...one of many inspired by their talent and vision!

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    1. Sorry...the first and 'second' to last images are what I meant - love the post and porcelains...a most forgotten piece in today's Collectors collections.

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  6. Anonymous1:31 PM

    The room with the magenta wall and gold trim is my favorite. However, as a Bay Area denizen, I can't help but worry about earthquakes! I assume museum wax is everywhere.

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  7. Jennifer, it is very easy to go down the rabbit hole...however discoveries like these fabulous rooms do make it so worthwhile! Thank you!

    xoxo
    Karena
    The Arts by Karena

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  8. Thomas2:25 PM

    My friend did a "Porcelain" wall years ago with gilded brackets and porcelain from various thrift stores - the centerpiece was a group of plates done on an architects color copier , glued to the wall with shadows catefully painted in- one had to touch the wall to be sure- It was brilliantly tongue in cheek and really very beautiful

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  9. Gorgeous items - some of the porcelain patterns made me think of the masonry/ceramic antique stoves throughout Europe. So beautiful.

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  10. JB...social networking is how we met doll! I realize it can be a bit overwhelming, but my hard and fast rule is to set aside a certain time everyday and do my posts, my blog, instagram (unless I just see something wonderful to share) and then monitor on and off all day as I have time. It's just like anything else in life...you have to be the master. I hope to see you in October with ATP for drinks and dinner! As always...xx.DT

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  11. Loved this post, Jennifer, and couldn't agree more re social media. I'll go back and read Bilton's article. Right after I get over the palpitations the Schloss Eggenberg has incited. xo Frances

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  12. These porcelain rooms are breathtaking - internet research (for posts) is always a good idea! Well done.

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