The 20th century Venus of Urbino – Monica Bellucci

I know, I know, it was supposed to be only a three part sequence, but life is unpredictable, and Monica is the favourite of the Maestro. While I was indulging with all the others, the Maestro appeared in front of me and said that Monica is his clear favourite! How could a mere mortal confront the Maestro Tiziano?

It is not a blonde after all!

It is not an American!

It is an Italian girl!

And what a girl she is!

She is smoking hot, she is true fire, she is going all the way!

Lets face it, the Maestro is right!

Beauty is such a transient feature,

but again, life is!

And yet it is not,

it depends on how you look at it!

And how you feel!

And what you want and what you need!

Buonanotte amici!!!

Mille bacci a tutti!!!

The 20th century Venus of Urbino – Part III: Streep, Pfeiffer, Thurman

This is Part III of the search for the 20th century Venus of Urbino, starring Meryl Streep, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Uma Thurman. After Part I (Cardinale, Aimee, Hayworth), and Part II (Vitti, Deneuve, Dunaway), this is now the final part.

Meryl Streep

The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.
~Albert Einstein ~

Michelle Pfeiffer

Remember how in that communion only, beholding beauty with the eye of the mind,
he will be enabled to bring forth, not images of beauty,
but realities (for he has hold not of an image but of a reality),
and bringing forth and nourishing true virtue to become the friend of God and be immortal, if mortal man may.”
N.B.: This famous aphorism is often misquoted, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
~Plato ~

Uma Thurman

She walks in beauty,
Like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes
~Lord Byron ~

Conclusion

There is no conclusion.

What began as a quest for the discovery of the 20th century Venus of Urbino, ended in a dead end.

Beauty is endless, cannot be confined in one vessel of human form.

The 20th century Venus of Urbino – Part II: Vitti, Dunaway, Deneuve

I continue with the journey I started yesterday, nominating the candidates for the 20th century Venus of Urbino. Today I present Monica Vitti, Faye Dunaway and Catherine Deneuve.

The axiom that guides this contribution is that what makes the Urbino Venus unique and classical is her ambivalence and unpredictability. We have to do in a sense with a naked Mona Lisa, only in this case the whole body is the protagonist of the posture, not just the mouth and the eyes.

Monica Vitti

Waiting for Godot…

A pensive look in the mirror

Que sera sera!

Faye Dunaway

I knew I was overdressed!

May you go quiet into the night

Elegance

Catherine Deneuve

She has been a beauty since her early days

In front of Helmut Newton’s lens she is the captivating eternal beauty.

I can spend a whole life looking at her without wanting to look at anything else!

As an epilogue to part 2, I remind everyone the lyrics of the song from the Umbrellas of Cherbourg.

I Will Wait For You (Norman Gimbel/ Jacques Demy/ Michel Legrand)

If it takes forever I will wait for you
For a thousand summers I will wait for you
Till you’re back beside me, till I’m holding you
Till I hear you sigh here in my arms

Anywhere you wander, anywhere you go
Every day remember how I love you so
In your heart believe what in my heart I know
That forevermore I’ll wait for you

The clock will tick away the hours one by one
Then the time will come when all the waiting’s done
The time when you return and find me here and run
Straight to my waiting arms

If it takes forever I will wait for you
For a thousand summers I will wait for you
Till you’re here beside me, till I’m touching you
And forevermore sharing your love

The 20th century Venus of Urbino – Part I: Hayworth, Aimee, Cardinale

As it happens, the community of this blog, nicknamed “Binelik Atelier” has started a discourse on who might pose for the “Venus of Urbino”, should Titian be a 20th century painter.

I start my contribution from the axiom that what makes the Urbino Venus unique and classical is her ambivalence and unpredictability. We have to do in a sense with a naked Mona Lisa, only in this case the whole body is the protagonist of the posture, not just the mouth and the eyes.

This is Part I, as there are many Venus candidates for the 20th Century. Here we go!!!

Rita Hayworth

Flirting – Are you looking at me sailor?

Seductive optimism rides the waves

(Pensive)…. where have the good times gone?

Anouk Aimee

Sensitive, fragile

Life Magazin, 1967

feminine, elegant

Life Magazin, 1967

discretely intense, these eyes can direct you to murder all the way!

Claudia Cardinale

I want to share some bad thoughts…

I want to have a shower …

and then go to bed…

Firenze! A very small sample of the treasures

I could not resist the temptation to share some of the stunning works of art that one can see in Firenze.

Here we go! Boticelli’s Primavera (Uffizzi)

Michelangelo’s Holy Family (Uffizzi)
Titian’s Venus of Urbino (Uffizzi)

Michelangelo’s David (Academia)

Donatelo’s David (Bargello)

Raphael’s Madonna of the Chair (Palazzo Pitti)

Medici Chapel, New Sacristry, San Lorenzo

Giambologna, The rape of the Sabine women (Academia)

Firenze! The jewel of Arno

I continue this journey in Toscana with a visit to Firenze, home of so many treasures of the world culture that I cannot even attempt to name a few.

It is a city that does not knock you out on first sight, but instead grows on you.

Ponte Vecchio, one of the landmarks.

The river Arno is the blessing and the curse of the city. It has flooded the city many times, and in some of the floods has killed people and destroyed invaluable art treasures.

Galleria Uffizzi, an art lover’s dream.

Around the corner…

Palazzo Vecchio awaits you

Standing there for centuries

witness to the rise and fall of the Medici

Wandering around the streets you can see the emblem of the city

and have dinner in Enoteca Pincchiori, one of the gastronomic landmarks of the city, straight across the street from Michelangelo house.

or try a more modest but also delicious dinner in “Il Latini”

And then for a nice sleep behind the closed windows.

Buonanote Firenze e grazie!!!

Toscana forever and ever – Montalcino, Pienza and Monte Amiata

After the enthusiastic response to the beauties of Toscana, I share with you today some more pictures from this blessed part of Italy.

I start with Montalcino, the famous town of the best Brunello on Earth.

The medieval center is floating on the early morning mist.

Just so that you get a feeling for the geography and the wines, I borrowed from the Wine Spectator the Tuscany wine map that you see next.

The small village of Castelnuovo dell’ Abate is 5 km south of Montalcino.

It is famous for Abbazzia San Antimo,

and for the wine drinkers, for the Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona wine maker.And when you go hungry, Bassomondo is a family run osteria where you can forget the toils of life and enjoy the good side of it!Moving on to the medieval town of Pienza, a relatively unknown jewel a few kilometers away from Montalcino.The square of Pienza takes you back to the medieval times. You can easily forget time and abandon yourself to the miraculous effect of the beautifully preserved surroundings.

The whole town is a brilliant example of what you can do when you respect your past and create a product for international tourism that sells quality and respect for civilization. And in case you get hungry, you do not need to go far, the Enoteca of “Marusco e Maria” will take care of you.

And then you find yourself in the subliminally quiet town of Monte Amiata.

And the railway station to take you away.

A surprise discovery in Toscana – Castello Vicchiomaggio

Surprises abound in life, and this one was a good one!

I was driving on Chianti Road, on my way from Florence to Panzano, to visit my friends Kim and Dario, and I got hungry. Although it was after 2 o’clock which in Italy is late for lunch, I was hoping to find something. I was not looking for a full meal, just a light one and a glass of wine.

In any case, I saw a turn of the road to the left and decided to follow the narrow winding road.

After a couple of kilometers I arrived at a beautiful spot on top of a hill.

I parked the car and went to explore the building.

It was an old residence, and had the name “Castello Vicchiomaggio”.

It even had a chapel inside.

I went to the dining area, where a few people where finishing their meal.

The kind waiter informed me that the kitchen was closed but they could get me a salad and some antipasti. Perfect!

The last guests left, and I had this huge area for myself.

A wonderful fresh salad, was accompanied by prosciuto, salumi and pecorino.

The wine was produced by the owner of the castello, John Matta, and it was fantastic for lunch.

The waiter finished his work and came to play the piano in the dining area. He started with some light tunes I did not know, We started talking and the discussion came to opera. All of a sudden, he played “Nessun Dorma”, the famous aria of Puccini’s Turandot. He smiled and thanked me for listening.

On my way out I checked the front side of the castello, and saw the pool and the magnificent view!

What a surprise!

P.S. I later checked on the internet and saw that John Matta is one of the best winemakers in the area.

Woman Combing her Hair

Women combing their hair has always been a magnificent and revealing image for me.

I start with a solemn piece by Munch, who opens this small collection of pictures. I love the red, the fiery orange and dark yellows, in contrast with the cool colors of the window. There is a sense of transience in the picture, the young woman is ready to do something else, go out and enjoy life, open the window for good, this little ceremony is like the last thing she does before delivering herself to the world. She is ready to enjoy life, she does not have much time for brooding and contemplation, she gets the job done as required, but this is about it!  The sure sign of this psychological posture is the fact that the woman is fully dressed when she is combing her hair, and she is standing.

Edward Munch - Woman combing her hair

It may be the length of the hair (οι βοστρυχοι στα ελληνικα) it may be the serenity of the process, it may be the curved body parts, it may be the fact that in the process the woman is reflecting upon her appearance or something else.

Whatever it is, this type of  image speaks to me.

Rossetti’s Lady Lilith (1863) is combing her hair and watching herself on the hand held mirror. The first wife of Adam has a lot to think about and to contemplate while watching her own beauty on the mirror. The atmosphere of the picture is gloomy and totally inward. Lady Lilith is not interested in anything really, but herself. This morbid narcissism is totally captivating in the picture. It is after all, a picture of vanity. The simple act of combing the hair becomes an open door to the woman’s personality. Her naked shoulder is escaping from the gown and is a clear sign of the intense carnal aspect of the picture. Although she is not naked or half dressed, this may be even more powerful.

Renoir is here painting the innocence and quite anticipation of the young girl in a fantastic way! The contrast of the browns and the beige with the flesh and the white night gown is startling. The purity and magnificence of the innocent is portrayed in the picture. Here, we see that this is really a portrait, not just a portrayal of the act.

Young girl combing her hair

The subliminal Titian is here painting the wife of one of his clients, who emerges triumphant from the act of combing her hair, and is helped by the servant who humbly looks down. She is not primarily a sexual agent, she is primarily a woman in charge. Her sight is full of determination, whether this refers to the hair or something else. She is a woman who means business and nothing else.  The posture of the servant is exemplifying the power as virtue that the picture radiates. The colors of the gown and shirt of the lady are not accidental. She is a creature of black and white.

Titian

Let me now move to pictures that are made by Edgar Degas in the last decade of the 19th century. One of the reasons I fell in love with Degas was his mastery of this subject.

Edgar Degas: Combing the hair (1892-6)

Here we have an orgy of reds, oranges, mixed with pink and the combing is done by a domestic helper. The young woman is totally left to the hands of her servant, maybe asleep, maybe dreaming. In stark contrast, the helper is awake, alert, and diligent in performing the task. The only sign that she may be awake is the posture she makes with her left hand.

This is a similar picture of Degas, but the combing here is done most likely by the sister of the young girl. The most beautiful part of the picture is the bent hand that supports the hair.

What a change when we move to the endlessly fascinating Balthus and his Alice! Alice is practically naked, and exhibits her beauty unashamedly. And why not?

She is young, she is beautiful, there is nothing to worry about, but the extent to which she will enjoy the pleasures of life. The room is empty, there is only one chair, we cannot make out her social class or status. Does it matter? I believe this is one of the points made by Balthus.

Cathy’s Toilette is a violent vibrating picture of domestic life gone on the rocks.

As I go through a period of preparation for my long anticipated trip to Japan, I include a serene picture from Japan.

Onna

In closing, I would like to show another Degas picture, whose colours I love.

Lini e Lane di Firenze, Catalog 1961 – Table Setting and Etiquette – A journey back in time

Today I want to share with you fragments of the 1961 catalog of the house of  “Lini e Lane di Firenze”. I discovered it in the papers of my mother. It is a journey back in time, and for me a journey of reminiscence.

I start with the cover page of the catalog.

The content is entirely dedicated on the breakfast, lunch and dinner tables. The text is in French.

I continue with some rules regarding the setting of the table.

The first is the normal way as the authors call it. A basic rule is that the napkin must be simply folded and on the plate.

Moving on to the more formal arrangements.

We can now state more basic rules.

Most important of all, is that the whole composition must be balanced, all items gravitating towards the undeniable center, the dinner plate.

Utensils are placed in the order of their use, starting from the outside. (Careful with the salad, as in France it is served last!)

Forks are always placed on the left, knifes on the right.

Dinner plates should be 2,5 to 3 centimeters from the edge of the table.

Here comes the text for the setting.

But this is not all! We have rules for seating the guests.

And the rules for serving!

Now is the time to have a look at another example of table setting.

This is a rather casual setting, to lighten things up!

This is all for today, have a great morning, evening, night, whatever you want it to be!

P.S. This is dedicated to Despinarion, who inspired me with her beautiful post of reminiscence a few days ago. Thank you Despinarion!