Who Will Riddle Me the How and the Why

Detail of a sphinx from an Eight-Light Candelabra (c.1785) possibly by Francois Remond

Here are a couple more images from my recent trip to the Huntington. ;-)

In general, I tend to focus on the fine art, sculpture, and architecture, but the decorative arts on display are exquisite, very rich in detail. These images have a mythological theme, in a pseudo-Egyptian style.

As for the title of this post, it's a quote from Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem, "The 'How' and the 'Why'". I figured that it would be a nice nod to celebrate his birth date, August 6, 1809.

Detail of a lamia(?)from an Eight-Light Candelabra (c.1785) possibly by Francois Remond

The sphinx and lamia are quite charming, but I find it a bit twisted, even for rococo sensibilities, to put mythical female sociopaths on the furniture. ;-)

Fountain at the Huntington

Water lilies bloom in the North Vista Lawn's fountain, at the Huntington Library

Enjoy!!!

Don't Fear the Shadows

Mantel Clock (c.1780) by Joseph-Leonard Roque

Another visit to the Huntington means another bunch of art and garden photos for the next few days. ;-)

It'll be fun, a feast for the eyes.

And our birthday musician for the day is Robert Cray, blues guitarist extraordinaire, born on August 1, 1953.

"Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" by Robert Cray

Enjoy!!!

Canary

Detail of The Canary (1913) by William McGregor Paxton

Canary
(By Rita Dove)


---for Michael S. Harper

Billie Holiday’s burned voice
had as many shadows as lights,
a mournful candelabra against a sleek piano,
the gardenia her signature under that ruined face.

(Now you’re cooking, drummer to bass,   
magic spoon, magic needle.
Take all day if you have to
with your mirror and your bracelet of song.)

Fact is, the invention of women under siege   
has been to sharpen love in the service of myth.

If you can’t be free, be a mystery.


It's been a while since I last posted up a poem. I figured that the day would be improved with some lovely verse by Rita Dove.

Enjoy!!!

Friday Flowers: A Few Camellias

Camellia Japonica: C.M. Wilson

Happiness
(By Carl Sandburg)

I asked the professors who teach the meaning of life to tell
     me what is happiness.
And I went to famous executives who boss the work of
     thousands of men.
They all shook their heads and gave me a smile as though
     I was trying to fool with them
And then one Sunday afternoon I wandered out along
     the Desplaines river
And I saw a crowd of Hungarians under the trees with
     their women and children and a keg of beer and an
     accordion.

Camellia: Happy Holidays

Well, I couldn't find an appropriate poet's birth date to go with our lovely camellias. Therefore, I fell back on this Sandburg classic, simple but strong. And, with such gorgeous flowers to appreciate, how can one not be inspired towards happiness?

As for the camellias, I'm happy that I was finally able to share them with you. Again, they're from my trip to the Huntington. I was hoping to get around to one of the flower show, but that hasn't happened. Being so late in the season, it's unlikely that I'll get around to showcasing one this time. Oh well, there's always next year. ;-)

Friday Flowers: Echeveria

Echeveria Imbricata

History
(By Robert Lowell)


History has to live with what was here,
clutching and close to fumbling all we had--
it is so dull and gruesome how we die,
unlike writing, life never finishes.
Abel was finished; death is not remote,
a flash-in-the-pan electrifies the skeptic,
his cows crowding like skulls against high-voltage wire,
his baby crying all night like a new machine.
As in our Bibles, white-faced, predatory,
the beautiful, mist-drunken hunter's moon ascends--
a child could give it a face: two holes, two holes,
my eyes, my mouth, between them a skull's no-nose--
O there's a terrifying innocence in my face
drenched with the silver salvage of the mornfrost.

Echeveria Pulvinata "Frosty"

Since we started this cycle of posts with desert flora, I figured we would close it out with some as well. So, here are a few photos of lovely echeveria from the Huntington Botanic Gardens. Looking at the varieties of echevaria in the conservatory, I actually started to develop a liking for these plants, becoming beguiled by their understated beauty. In times past, I would simply stroll right by them, ignoring their subtle grace.

So, even with all of my experience at pausing and appraising the wonders that surround me, I can be oblivious. Although a practiced aesthete, I can overlook splendors that bloom before me. Therefore, it is always good to have a friend who will lead one to appreciate that which is overlooked.

Friday Flowers: Magnolias

Magnolia: San Jose

Sonnet I (from Renascence)
(By Edna St. Vincent Millay)


Thou art not lovelier than lilacs, -- no,
  Nor honeysuckle; thou art not more fair
  Than small white single poppies, -- I can bear
Thy beauty; though I bend before thee, though
From left to right, not knowing where to go,
  I turn my troubled eyes, nor here nor there
  Find any refuge from thee, yet I swear
So has it been with mist, -- with moonlight so.

Like him who day by day unto his draught
  Of delicate poison adds him one drop more
Till he may drink unharmed the death of ten,
Even so, inured to beauty, who have quaffed
  Each hour more deeply than the hour before,
I drink -- and live -- what has destroyed some men.

Magnolia: Brozzonii

Today, we celebrate two "old fashioned" beauties, magnolias and the poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay. Both have a variety of culture connotations that might bring to mind bygone eras. Yet, when assessed for that which they are, free from bias or expectations, both the flowers and poems have undeniable beauty, as vibrant and charming today as they were generations ago.

So, let's wind up the week with these gentle beauties.

Magnolia: Verbanica

And, yes, these are photographs that I took during my trip to the Huntington. With so many gorgeous flowers in bloom, it'll be a few weeks before I can share them all.

Then, it'll be time for the Spring blossoms. ;-)

Prickly

The Desert Garden at the Huntington, with more than 5000 species of desert flora in 10 acres

Here are a couple more photos from my trip to the Huntington.

I'm not big on desert flora. Having a slight case of trypanophobia, I try to stay well away from needles and other such spiky, piercing objects. The shapes and colors of these desert plants are certainly interesting, well worth viewing, but it's a tense experience for me. Nevertheless, I'm happy that I overcame the phobia long enough to appreciate a part of the garden that I rarely visit.

And the desert flora is easy to compose into interesting photos.

More cacti and diverse succulents

As long as there are nice and wide garden paths, these weird prickly plants make for good viewing, but you will not find me scampering among their piercing presence in a wild terrain any time soon. The lily ponds and camellias were welcome sights afterwards. ;-)

On the Hunt

Detail of Diana (1894) by Frederick MacMonnies

This past weekend, I got to visit the Huntington Museum, strolling through their collection of American art. I'm especially fond of the sculptures of the collection. I've shown a few of them with you all over the past few years, but the MacMonnies Diana has yet to grace Paideia.

And, now, the situation has been rectified. ;-)

Enjoy!!!

Splendid and Simple

Detail from Portrait of a Lady in Turkish Fancy Dress (1790) by Jean-Baptiste Greuze


It's been a long while since last we celebrated the birth date of an "old master" type of painter. So, let's take a brief opportunity to appreciate the works of Jean-Baptiste Greuze. He's not the most famous of ancien regime painters, but I like his work nearly just as much as his more famous contemporaries.

And, of course, I'm loco for rococo. ;-)

Rather than focusing on his more popular works, I've posted up some works from the local Los Angeles collections.

Detail from The Laundress (1761) by Jean-Baptiste Greuze

He was born on August 21, 1725. Let's appreciate the conjunction of splendor and "simplicity" within Greuze's aesthetic vision.

In Chains

Detail of Zenobia in Chains (1859) by Harriet Goodhue Hosmer

Offered for your consideration. ;-)

But There on the Shining Metal

Detail from Shield of Achilles (1821) by John Flaxman

Yeah, I'm still sick and tired. Feeling really awful today. . .

But it takes little effort to post a "Photo of the Day" and share a few words. ;-)

Anyways, I recently visited the Huntington Museum. I'm not a big fan of Neoclassicism, but I'm starting to develop a fondness. It still feels slightly inauthentic and pretentious, but the beauty wins me over. For instance, nothing can be more inflated in self-importance than Homeric pastiche, yet I can't help but appreciate this sculpture for its craftsmanship and lovely detail.

Hopefully, I'll get back to the Huntington sometime soon to snap a few more detailed images for you all. It's a real beauty, hidden away in the corner of one of the upper parlours.

Friday Flowers: Temple of Love and Roses

Roses: French Lace (Floribunda)

Sonnet 55
(By William Shakespeare)

Not marble, nor the gilded monuments
Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme;
But you shall shine more bright in these contents
Than unswept stone besmear'd with sluttish time.
When wasteful war shall statues overturn,
And broils root out the work of masonry,
Nor Mars his sword nor war's quick fire shall burn
The living record of your memory.
'Gainst death and all-oblivious enmity
Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room
Even in the eyes of all posterity
That wear this world out to the ending doom.
So, till the judgment that yourself arise,
You live in this, and dwell in lover's eyes.

We've skipped a few significant Shakespeare related dates over the past few weeks. So, here's a brief post to compensate. ;-)

Temple of Love in the Rose Garden at the Huntington Gardens

As for the roses, it's about time that we celebrated their return. Lovely, lovely flowers!!!

Seifu-An: Arbor of Pure Breeze

Japanese Garden at the Huntington: Arbor of Pure Breeze

A while back, I promised you all some photos of the newly reopened Japanese Garden at the Huntington. Well, I figured we would celebrate Earth Day by looking at this beautiful place.

A crooked bridge leads to the Bonsai Courtyard

It's a bit late tonight. So I'll let the photos "speak" for themselves. ;-)

Borne by the Channel Of a Green Stream

View from the Chinese Garden Pavilion at the Huntington Botanical Gardens

Not much to say right now, but I wanted to share this photo. I took it last weekend while visiting the Huntington Gardens. The view is from the Chinese Garden looking towards the Japanese Gardens, which will be reopening on April 11. Yeah, my anticipation is building somethin' fierce. ;-)

You can bet that I'll be sharing some photos with you.

But, for now, we can only gaze from afar, dreaming of the beauties awaiting in the hidden garden.

Adorable Little Trees

Bonsai: Japanese Black Pine

This weekend was the California Bonsai society's 55th Annual Show, held at the Huntington Gardens. I've been eagerly awaiting the reopening of the Japanese Garden, set for April 11. So, this show was like a delicious appetizer. ;-)

It's actually been a long time since I showcased a Bonsai show. Well, here are a bunch of photos to make up for my slackitude.

Bonsai: Blue Atlas Cedar

Amazing artistry. More after the jump:

Beauties in Bronze and Stone

Benediction (1922) by Daniel Chester French


My previous post about Barbara Hepworth got me thinking about beautiful sculpture and the ability to capture a mood and personality within the material, expressed through texture and form. And since I recently visited the Huntington Museum, I went looking for a few images that caught my eye.

You might remember that I have a love/disdain relationship with neoclassical, emulationist sculpture. However, I totally confess to finding the works of Daniel Chester French and Chauncey Bradley Ives very beautiful. Yeah, the mental stimulation of Hepworth's abstract work keeps me excited and engaged, but sometimes superficial "pretties" will do the job just fine. ;-)

And who can resist this lovely Pandora?

Pandora (1858) by Chauncey Bradley Ives

So very lovely. . .

Among the Purple Sage

Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia Leucantha) in front of the Huntington Art Gallery


I read Zane Grey's classic Western novel, Riders of the Purple Sage, when I was little more than a child. I had no clue as to how purple sage actually looked, but my imagination was more than willing to envision a landscape painted every shade from puce to periwinkle.

As I grew older and began to draw botanical studies, I finally came across "purple sage" in the form of Mexican Bush Sage. It was a shocking experience because, as a native of Southern California, I had been living amongst it for most of my life!!! It wasn't some mythic flora from the remote wastelands of Utah; it was in my neighbor's front yard!

So, whenever I come across a beautiful display of Mexican Bush Sage, it always takes me back to both the whimsy of youth and that moment of revelation where the legendary is recognized in the quotidian.

Close view of Mexican Bush Sage

But, just because the purple sage has become a commonplace object, doesn't mean that it has lost its place within my imagination. If anything, having a firm mental image of the sage brings greater depths to my mental meanderings. ;-)

Friday Flowers: Marigolds

A mix of marigolds from the Huntington Gardens


Kubla Kahn (Lines 1 to 11)
(By Samuel Taylor Coleridge)

In Xanadu did Kubla Kahn
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
     Down to a sunless sea.
So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round:
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.


Today we celebrate the birth date of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, born on this day in 1772. Yeah, the unabashed Romanticism and emotive excessiveness may not be cool for the contemporary school, but his smooth lyricism and flowing rhymes deserve some time to be read again with a fresh point of view. ;-)

Marigolds: Tagetes Patula

And what of the marigolds? Well, I was thinking of how folks are setting up "haunted house" trappings with store bought fabrications. That's fine, but I'd rather take my decor "old school" with simple pumpkins amidst the marigolds, the flower of the dead.

Domestic Designs to Adore and Delight

Horn Back Chair with Spindles and Low Curving Arms (c.1960) by Sam Maloof


When discussing the development of the Los Angeles Art scene, the avant-garde of conceptual art or the emergence of minority artists rightfully command significant attention, but there was a quieter innovation underway out in the Pomona Valley.

"The House That Sam Built" is an exhibit at the Huntington Museum featuring the creativity of the Pomona school in developing a modern sensibility to those art forms frequently classified as the "decorative" arts, such as furniture design or ceramics. This movement was led by Sam Maloof, the great furniture designer, who brought a strong aesthetic of lyric modernism to functional craftsmanship. His influence dominated Los Angeles decorative design and spread out becoming a distinctive late-20th century style.

I always get a laugh when I see the Pomona school being distinguished from the LA scenes, as if it were someplace off among the redwoods or in the remote Sierras. Sure, if you take your Southern California geography directions from Bugs Bunny and make an ill-advised turn at Rancho Cucamonga. ;-)

Chair after Hans Wegner (1952) by Sam Maloof

I'm pleased that the Huntington has put together a strong exhibit to showcase this very influential school of design. Maloof and his students are just as much a part of the LA aesthetic as anything turned out of the Ferus Gallery in the 1960s. It's a fine part of the Pacific Standard Time exhibition.