Villa Poupon / Villa des Gladets

We usually spend our summer holidays at the same campsite in the Auvergne. And we love to explore the surrounding villages, always hoping to discover something spectacular. One of our previous discoveries was the beautiful but neglected Art Nouveau pâtisserie in La Bourboule, Maison Rozier. Once a delicious pastry shop with a Salon de Thé for le Beau Monde. Now (and it hurts looking at it – all musty, flaking and covered in dust) a dilapidated shadow of its original radiant presence…

Fortunately there are also people who do understand the importance of safeguarding our Art Nouveau heritage! Take for example this well-preserved building we discovered in Le Mont Dore: La Villa Poupon.

When I discovered Maison Rozier and Villa Poupon were designed by the same architect, I ordered a book from France about his complete works: Louis Jarrier – Architecte à Clermont-Ferrand, by Pascal Piera.

Louis Jarrier (1862-1932) descended from a large family of architects in Clermont-Ferrand. His grandfather was a contractor-architect; his father François-Louis Jarrier (1829-1881) was a city-architect and a professor of architecture at a school in Clermont-Ferrand. Louis first studied at the École Régionale des Beaux-Arts in Clermont-Ferrand, and then at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris. In 1891 he was appointed inspector of the diocesan buildings. A few years later he was promoted to architect of historic monuments. He was also an art teacher at a local highschool and at the École Régionale des Beaux-Arts where he had once been a student himself.

In his book about Jarrier, Pascal Piera describes Villa Poupon, or Villa des Gladets as it is currently called, as a typical Art Nouveau villa. The different volumes, materials and shapes of the openings reflect the architects wish to enliven the facade and show the function of the volumes on the outside. Take for example the tower with the tent-shaped roof, and the diagonally placed windows that reveal the location of the staircase. With this construction Jarrier left the conventional model. He used a metal frame, a symbol of modernity, leaving the steel girders visible as lintels above the windows.

Louis Jarrier diversified the openings to the extreme. One window in particular: a window enclosed in a red brick horseshoe arch, or as the French call it, a “Baie Thermale” (a semicircular window divided by two posts). As this type of window was ‘prescribed’ by Nancy, we can find similar windows there too. For instance in one of the 1905 buildings by Henry Gutton en Joseph Hornecker (Maison Geschwindammer at 6ter, quai de la Bataille) and in some of the 1902-1903 buildings by Emile André (Les Glycines and Les Roches at 5 and 6, rue des Brices or Maisons Huot at 92-93 bis, quai Claude-le-Lorrain). And also in Brussels we can find examples of the horseshoe window. Like the house Paul Hankar built in 1897 for the painter Albert Ciamberlani at 48, rue Defacqz.

Another typical Art Nouveau feature of Villa Poupon: the tile panels. The pastel coloured tiles are decorated with lush flowers and meandering stalks following the outlines of the window. This makes the window, through its form and decoration, a full-fledged ornament of the andesite stones facade.

According to the original documents, Jarrier built this beautiful Art Nouveau villa for a certain monsieur Poupon. And I have tried seriously to find out who this monsieur Poupon was, but so far that has turned out to be impossible. On eBay, I discovered a 1906 invoice from Poupon Frères (Poupon brothers), with jewelry stores in both Monte-Carlo and Mont-Dore. Yet there’s no proof that either one of these brothers was our monsieur Poupon…

Also, there’s a sign on the facade saying ‘Villa des Gladets’ and another one with ‘Notaire’. Questions, questions, questions – and no answers. I have contacted several official organisations in France but none of them have responded to my e-mails. So, if you happen to know more about the history of this Villa, and about monsieur Poupon in particular, please let me know. I would love to get the whole picture. Until then, I shall fantasize about a handsome young jeweller who built this enchanting Villa for his lovely wife and children.

19 Rue du Capitaine Chazotte, Le Mont Dore, France

Source
Les Trésors Architecturaux des Villes d’Eaux du Massif Central
Louis Jarrier, Architecte à Clermont-Ferrand 1862-1932
Wikipage Saurupt Park, Nancy

Ungleige Seelen by Sergius Hruby (1869 -1943)

Do you recognise that feeling? When you just know you’ve discovered something special? When I first saw this painting I fell in love with it straight away. Beautiful colours. And how about that mysterious scene? Who are these women? Are they dancing?

When I looked at the painting long enough, I got sucked into it. I was there. It was a sultry night. We were in the desert, sand dunes everywhere. The women were dancing a sensual dance. The music was of an ancient kind. And there were millions of stars on the deep blue firmament…

Of course I bought the painting!

I spent hours and hours on the world-wide web, trying to figure out who painted this beautiful gouache; The maker only signed with his initials: S.H.

But I worked it out. It was Sergius Hruby.

Even though today not many people may know his name, Sergius Hruby was a renowned symbolist painter in his time. He was a brilliant graphic artist and illustrator, a designer and decorative painter. Known for his Art Nouveau works he specialised in the typical sinister fin-de-siècle woman.

Having collected dozens of examples of Hruby’s work in the mean time, I noticed something interesting. Hruby started off as an academic painter, picked-up the Art Nouveau style around 1899, touched Japonism briefly, and got ‘infected’ by Symbolism around 1910 when every other artist in Europe had already moved on to the next style. In fact, he stayed committed to symbolism the rest of his life.

Information about Hruby was unbelievably hard to find; no more than a sentence here or there. And since no-one else seems to have taken the trouble, I will try to piece together Sergius Hruby’s biography.

This biography is based on the few tiny details I could find after weeks, months of research. If you happen to know of any additional facts on Hruby’s life, please let me know. I would love to get his biography as complete as possible.

—————————————

Biography of Sergius Josef Hruby

Sergius Josef Hruby was born in Vienna on 16 March 1869. Other than that he joined the army in 1889, there’s no information about his youth; the first time his name pops-up in a newspaper (Die Neue Freie Presse of 25 December 1890) we learn that 21 year old Reserve-Cadet Sergius Hruby got promoted to Lieutenant in der Reserve. On 4 Februari 1891, the Teplitz-Schönauer Anzeiger tells us “Besonders schön präsentirte sich das „Alliance-Zimmer” mit den vom Maler Hruby prachtvoll gemalten Riesen-wappen der drei Verbündeten Oesterreich-Ungarn, Deutschland und Italien”. Hruby had painted a giant coat-of-arms of the Austro-Hungarian-German-Italian Alliance for the costumed ball of the local men’s choral in Teplitz.

Postcard by Sergius Hruby 1907

The 1896 annual report of the Imperial Austrian Museum for Art and Industry announces that the Freiherr Albert von Rothschild Foundation supported several students of the Kunstgewerbeschule. Sergius Hruby, 27 years old then, received a fl. 250,- grant.

In 1898, the Wiener Zeitung mentions Hruby, one of the students of the 1897/98 class, got another Fl. 100,- grant from the Freiherr Albert von Rothschild Foundation.

Now this is interesting: 18 March 1899 the Teplitz-Schönauer Anzeiger writes that the academic painter Sergius Hruby was appointed as a teacher at the Teplitzer k.k. Fachschule für Thonwaren-Industrie und andere Kunst-Gewerbe, the local technical school for pottery-industry and other forms of art. Hruby is said to be a former student of the School of Applied Arts and the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. He has had the greatest success with art exhibitions as well as with the designs for colour prints. The institution can be best complimented on his appointment, as he is one of the best in the decorative colour genre of the modern school.

Apparentely, while working at this school, Hruby designed jars as well as jewelry as I discovered some amazing drawings (via the Europeana website) at the MAK, the Austrian Museum of Applied Arts.

Oil-on-wood by Sergius Hruby

On 6 September 1899 the Teplitz-Schönauer Anzeiger published in the section Church Messages that Sergius Hruby, academic painter and teacher in Schönau, got a daughter. So he was married? Indeed! Author Anna L. Staudacher published a book …melded den Austritt aus dem Mosaischen Glauben, which is actually a list with the names of 18.000 people who withdrew from the Jewish faith in Vienna between 1868 and 1914. From this list we learn that in 1908, Safira Sofie Hruby-Elias (born 26 Januari 1874), withdrew from the Jewish faith. According to the same book Safira and Sergius had been married since 22 June 1899.

In a 2013 Newsletter of the Swedenborg Library we can read about a portrait Hruby made of Emanuel Swedenborg in 1900. In that same newsletter it is suggested Hruby worked for the Wiener Werkstätte, but I have not found proof of that anywhere. I even contacted the owner of the website Vienna Secession who is an expert on the art scene in Vienna, but he also never found evidence that Hruby was a member of the Wiener Werkstätte.

Between 25 November and 31 December 1900, the Teplitzer k.k. Fachschule für Thonwaren-Industrie und andere Kunst-Gewerbe organised an exhibition, showing the works of its students. According to the enticing poster Hruby designed for the exhibition, modern ceramics, modern English furniture, bronze objects, paintings, sculptures and carpets would be on display.

On 19 December 1900 the Teplitz-Schönauer Anzeiger reports that Professor S. Hruby was unanimously appointed a member of the Museum Society of the Teplitzer Museum because of his outstanding achievements.

Book Cover Project by Sergius Hruby 1913

Hruby was 45 years old, and a first lieutenant by now, when World War I began. According to the files at Künstlerhaus, he became invalid while in service. The Linzer Tages-Post reported on 8 September 1915 that Archduke Franz Salvator rewarded Landsturm Oberleutnant Sergius Hruby from the Reserve Hospital in Melk with a Red Cross Honour Decoration 2nd class, with War Decoration, for his outstanding contribution to military medical care during the war.

Right from the beginning of the war, artists from both countries of the Austro-Hungarian Empire were told to fulfill their duty, to put their talent to use. The high command ordered the KPQ (Kriegspressequartier or War-Press-HQ) to form a Kunstgruppe (an Art Group). The artists of this Kunstgruppe were officers but their art could not be commanded. They got the time to see what they wanted to see,  and they got the time to process what they had seen. But in the end, their art was requisitioned to be sold or to be displayed. Or the KPQ simply claimed the copyrights. Sergius Hruby is on the list of artists who worked for the KPQ between 1917-1918.

Die Trostende Hand by Sergius Hruby 1930

In 1920 Hruby started teaching at the Wiener Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt, a school where many famous Secessionist like Koloman Moser and Josef Engelhart taught.

In 1922 Hruby became a member of the Wiener Künstlerhaus. Two years later, he joined the Aquarellisten-Club (water-colourist club) and the Gruppe Gsur. Gruppe Gsur was established parallel to the Wiener Künstlerhaus in response to some annoyances about how exhibitions were organized.

Between 1925 and 1933, Hruby’s illustrations were printed on a regular basis in the satirical magazine Die Muskete, which was published between 1905 and 1941. In November 1927 they actually issued a Sondernummer, a Special Edition, about Professor Sergius Hruby! Unfortunately, the issue contains only drawings by Hruby; there’s no information about the man himself.

When World War II began, Sergius Hruby was already 71 years old. But he was still working. We know that, because Wladimir-Aichelburg reports Hruby was removed as member of the RKK (Reichskulturkammer) on 1 February 1941 reason being his wife was not of Aryan descent. Fortunately, Emil Bröckl intervened and Hruby could continue to work. However, as Hruby was removed from the RKK, he could no longer be a member of the Künstlerhaus. He was removed there too.

After that, life must have been very difficult for Hruby; he passed away on 24 October 1943 at age 74. The Künstlerhaus paid 500RM for his funeral, more than half of the total cost. Sergius Hruby was buried on 29 October 1943 at the Wiener Zentralfriedhof (Gruppe 48, Gruppe Erweiterung D, Reihe 7, Nummer 5).

Der Dämon by Sergius Hruby 1931

In 1944 the Künstlerhaus paid roughly 1000RM to Hruby’s daughter for several of his drawings.

In the years after that, the Künstlerhaus planned a commemorative exhibition about Sergius Hruby more than once, but after reviewing his paintings and comparing them with traditionally painted Secessionist works, the exhibitions were rejected as untimely…

Personally, I would have loved to see that commemorative exhibition. How about you?

Source
Die Muskete digitized magazine scans 1905-1941
Wiener Künstlerhaus
RKD Netherlands Institute of Art History
What is Symbolism in Art?
Wissenswertes über die Geschichte des Wiener Künstlerhauses
Wladimir-Aichelburg – 150 Jahre Künstlerhaus Wien 1861-2011

On the last day of 2012 we managed to buy our own original Art Nouveau family home. We had to wait four months to get the keys. But since then, as we wish to bring the house back to its original glory, we have been restoring. Day after day…

Our Art Nouveau family home is part of a set of houses built in 1913

In May 2013, I wrote (here) about the projects we were facing: selecting a new kitchen, picking a new bathroom, painting doors, having the roof checked by a professional roofer, ordering solar panels, taking down dirty wallpaper, repairing the walls, removing dirty carpet, getting the lead pipes replaced and a new heating system installed etc. Many of you then asked me for a regular update. So here we go! Today, I will tell you about the restoration of the stucco ceiling in our living room.

When we bought the house, the living room had an awful 1970s ceiling: dark brown slats. We were told the old stucco ceiling was no longer there, but secretly we hope to find ‘something’. My dad – who had just retired a few months earlier – came to the rescue and together we took down the slats.

It turned out there was another ceiling hidden behind the slats: soft board. So we took that ceiling down too. And there it was… the original, yet severely damaged, 1913 stucco ceiling. The same as the ceiling in de dining room. And the same as the ceiling in our next-door neighbours living room as our house is part of a block of four; two on the left and two on the right, mirror inverted.

The original stucco ceiling was hidden behind two other ceilings

We searched for a plasterer who could restore the original ceiling; we found René Egas. Unfortunately, after a thorough investigation, René advised us not to restore the ceiling. It’s condition was too poor and he could not guarantee the restored ceiling would stay up very long.

Together we figured it would be best to remove the complete ceiling and recreate a new one on gypsum board. But before removing everything, René would restore one of the damaged corner ornaments and then make a mould of it. The ornaments of the hidden ceiling had much better definition than the ones in the dining room as those were painted several times over the past 100 years. The center ornament was missing.

Plasterer René Egas restoring one of the original corner ornaments

We chose René because we had faith in his capabilities. But also because he does this on a regular basis; he had a mould for the center ornament already lying around from a previous renovation project! And that made it unnecessary to create one from the center ornament in our dining room (which would have involved a risk of damaging that ceiling in the process).

– Restored ornaments were covered with a silicone to make the moulds, and with a plaster cast to support the moulds later in the process

Carefully removing the silicone mould

Once we were 100% sure the moulds were usable, the next challenge was to remove the damaged ceiling. Plaster, reed and battens, a mouse nest and 100 years worth of dust. My dad and I took everything down in one day. I needed another week to remove the debris. Wearing a mask was not a luxury!

Removing the damaged ceiling was a dirty job!

We also removed the battens and the glass wool blankets from the ceiling in the veranda. They had been applied in such a sloppy way, they had no function anyway!

Poor insulation of the veranda ceiling

In the mean time, we studied the characteristics of the available insulation materials and decided to use thick Isover glass wool blocks to fit tightly between the beams of the veranda (leaving a few cm above the blocks for ventilation). And we sealed the whole thing off with Miofol Active foil & tape. We found this to be the only suitable moisture barrier under a flat zinc roof.

New Isover insulation blocks in the veranda

Sealing off the veranda ceiling with Miofol Active foil & tape

After that, a professional carpenter came in to create a structure for the new ceiling with an extra large number of battens, and gypsum board. We also asked him to create an artificial beam between the living room and the veranda. We had examined the original ceiling at the neighbours and as their ceiling has a beam, we wanted the beam back into our ceiling too!

Finally, plasterer René could start working on the actual stucco ceiling! We determined the exact center of the room, and ‘glued’ the center ornament at the right place. Then, the gypsum was evenly applied to the gypsum board leaving enough room for the corner ornaments to be attached later on.

Before we removed the original ceiling, René had measured the dimensions of the freeze. With those measurements he made a zinc ‘comb’ that would be needed to create the new freeze. A temporary batten was attached to the gypsum board so the comb could be pulled along this ‘rail’ through a thick layer of plaster thus creating a beautifully straight new freeze.

René’s handmade zinc ‘comb’ to pull a straight freeze directly on the ceiling

At last it was time to embed the corner ornaments and then leave the ceiling to dry. Just imagine the amount of water that went into this ceiling. Once the ceiling was dry enough, it was time to fine-tune the ornaments and the freeze, to sharpen the edges here and there, and to polish the flat areas.

The final stage involved the application of two layers of a matt latex paint.

Applying two layers of a matt latex paint

In the mean time, another plasterer had already restored the walls so the final result was stunning. We are só going to enjoy this ceiling for the next 100 years!

Source
e-Stuc stukadoors- en restauratiebedrijf
Isover Insulation Solutions
Meuwissen Miofol

Collecting antiques is an expensive hobby. Collecting Art Nouveau antiques might even be more expensive! So what if you don’t have that kind of money lying around?

I go to auctions. I frequent rummage sales, flea markets and thrift shops. I browse eBay every other night. But what if you don’t even have thát kind of money?

If you are so lucky to still have your grandmother around, she might let you go through her cupboards if you ask her kindly. But you can only do that once.

Therefore I have found another way to indulge myself and satisfy my craving:

Art Nouveau Postage Stamps

2014 Mucha Central Africa Stamps

You can start collecting at any moment, from anywhere and with any budget. You can focus on one artist, one country or one subject. I have browsed the net last night, and believe me… it’s all there!

I discovered stamps from my neighbouring countries and stamps from the most exotic places in the world. I found very old stamps and stamps from last year. I found used stamps (those are the cheapest) and stamps in mint condition. They come with painters, architects and designers. With paintings, posters, buildings and furniture. It is all there!

So, if you ever come across a stamp related to Art Nouveau, let me know. And if you have other ideas on how to collect Art Nouveau with a mall budget, please share your tips with us in the comments.

Want to know more?
Art Nouveau related Stamps on Pinterest
Colnect: Online Stamp Catalogue
A previous post about my ‘Jugendstil’ stamps

This facade had been an eyesore for such a long time that I had almost given-up hope. The people who owned the place clearly didn’t care very much about architecture nor did they realize how special their shop was. Their shopfront looked hideous. But… as all good things come to an end, apparently bad things do too: there’s a new owner who investigated the architect’s drawings and had the shopfront restored to its original beauty. What a relief…

Unfortunately, the original gable was removed in 1954 as it was in a state of disrepair. Nevertheless are we able to enjoy the architect’s original design from 1897 thanks to the drawings at the Regionaal Archief Dordrecht (the city archives) and Kees Sigmond’s report for the Historical Association Oud-Dordrecht (magazine 2014-3).

Reus, Zijl and Berlage

In 1898 Izaak de Goeije commissioned local architect Hendrikus Adrianus Reus (1872-1935) to build him a new shop on the lot of a much older property. De Goeije was a businessman from Rotterdam, who already owned several buildings in Dordrecht.

Reus was still a young architect, barely 26 year old, when De Goeije contracted him. He had graduated in 1894 from the Rotterdam Academy, and moved to Amsterdam for two years. According to Loet Megens, whom I consider the expert on Reus’ life and work, it is very likely that Reus worked for Van Gendt architects during that time. And to be accepted as a student at Van Gendt, one of the major architects in Amsterdam, was considered a great honor. Van Gendt designed many important buildings in Amsterdam, and advised other eminent architects such as J.M. van der Mey, K.P.C. de Bazel en H.P. Berlage.

After Reus returned to Dordrecht, he worked on several projects with his father, who was also an architect. However, the young Reus had other ideas than Reus senior, and started to work for himself soon after. He was actually the first architect in Dordrecht moving away from the tradition to design according to previous styles. Reus began to develop his own style. Yet we can recognise the influence of the much older architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage, the “Father of Modern Architecture” in the Netherlands. Reus must have been introduced to Berlage during his time in Amsterdam.

When we approach Reus’ building, the first thing we notice are it’s red bricks. Reus ordered his bricks from the Dierense Steenfabriek J.M. van de Loo. I find it interesting that Reus designed this red building in Dordrecht while his ‘idol’ Berlage worked on the Commodity Exchange in Amsterdam; a building that is also characterized by it’s red bricks.

But there’s more that links Reus to Berlage…

Amsterdam was sort of an incubator for the architectural scene. Genootschap Architectura et Amicitia, a Dutch architecture association founded in 1855, has played an imporant role in the development of Dutch architecture. Many leading architects as well as people from related disciplines have been a member: Springer, Cuypers, Van Gendt, Kromhout, De Klerk, De Bazel, Kramer, Berlage, Wijdeveld, Duiker, Rietveld, Van Der Vlugt, Dudok, Van Loghem and so on. Architectura et Amicitia was involved in the establishment of Vocational schools, they printed magazines, organised field trips, exhibitions and competitions. And there were numerous related societies, workshops and partnerships. So basically, all architects and artists knew each other!

Reus asked Lambertus Zijl (1866-1947) to make sculptures for his project in Dordrecht. The same Lambertus Zijl who made the sculptures for Berlage’s Commodity Exchange in Amsterdam! Zijl worked on both projects at the same time.

Lambertus Zijl is, together with Joseph Mendes da Costa, considered one of the most important innovators of sculpture around 1900. Under influence of the emerging rationalism, he moved away from the academic traditions, and got his inspiration from archaic and medieval sculpture. Building and sculptures were to be integrated, they were to become a so called ‘Gesamtkunstwerk‘.

Zijl developed a style where the shape of the sculpture was almost completely integrated in the facade, without protruding or attracting much attention. You can clearly see the similarities between his sculptures in Dordrecht (left and middle) and the one (right) in Amsterdam.

The columns are made of a grey stone in a classical division: base, shaft and capital; the capitals however are of a more yellow kind of stone. We don’t know what the images on the capitals mean, why they are there, but I think the first one is depicts a coin being paid into an open hand. The second one is easy; those are flowers. Same for the third one: two mice. But the last one… well, your guess is as good as mine. Kees Sigmond suggests they might be stylized lobsters.

Lambertus Zijl is also credited for the sculptures at Voorstraat 380 en Wijnstraat 239 in Dordrecht. And I just realised that the sculptures on the Reus building at Groenmarkt 70 now need further investigation as we don’t know who sculpted them… but those stories, I will keep for some other time…

Pleased to see that Art Nouveau architecture seems to be gaining appreciation once more, I contacted the owner of the building. I was curious about his motivations and learned that he invested a significant amount of money in the refurbishment of the building, as he wanted “to bring back the original beauty of the building and safeguard it for the next 100 years”. Being a schoolteacher (who wishes to remain anonymous), he has no other motives than “his love for architecture, craftsmanship and beautiful materials” knowing that he will never earn back the extra investment that was needed because he insisted on doing it right.

And thát, what he did, gives me hope. Hope for the future of the Art Nouveau architecture in my hometown. Hope for the future of neglected architecture in general. And hope for us. May this little renovation project in Dordrecht be the first of many!

Source:
Amsterdam 1900 – Van Gendt Architecten
Dordt Eigen-aardig – Jaap Bouman (Article AD, Stad en Regio, 20 January 2015)
Tijdschrift 2014-3 van Vereniging Oud-Dordrecht (De Dordtse bouwsculpturen van Lambertus Zijl – Kees Sigmond)
Journal Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
Lambertus Zijl Biografie
Quellinusschool for Sculptors in Amsterdam
Van Gendt Architecten, Amsterdam
Wikipage Architectura et Amicitia
Wikipage Beurs van Berlage

Not many people know this, but Istanbul has some fairly nice Art Nouveau heritage too! Last week, I went ‘Art Nouveau hunting’ and my first discovery is the Ravouna Building at 201 İstiklal Caddesi, in Beyoglu.

The Ravouna building was designed in 1894 by Constantinos P. Kyriakides (1881-1942) as a home for the wealthy Italian Ravouna family and the family’s antiques and jewellery store. It was built along the Grande Rue de Pera (now called Istiklal Caddesi) between 1901 and 1906 by the Italian Enterpreneurs G. & Alf. Michelini. Alexandre D. Yenidunia designed the exquisite wooden interior including wall-to-wall cabinets to display jewellery and antiques. The names of all involved parties are chiselled in stone; the letters RF – for Ravouna Family – can be found on the facade too.

It is not known why and when the Ravouna Family left the building; but after they had left, it is said, the building became a bookstore. Since then, it has changed hands many times. In 2011, the building has been fully renovated by architect Halil Onur in accordance with drawings approved by the Beyoglu Conservation Committee and the Beyoglu Municipality. The restoration works were carried out by local conservation specialists, Galata Yapı.

At present the building is in service as Ravouna Suites and Ravouna Coffee & Bar. The building is a second degree listed historical building. The wooden interior is listed as well.

When I told the manager of Ravouna Coffee & Bar the purpose of my visit, he was more than happy to show me around. He told me the glass of the display cabinets had to be replaced during the refurbishment but the cabinets themselves are completely original! What an exceptional treat, to be able to see this kind of superb craftsmanship in a perfect condition after more than 100 years!

As was common in Art Nouveau architecture, there’s a mezzanine that overlooks the shop floor. Equipped with the same beautifully designed and carved display cabinets the mezzanine currently functions as an Art Gallery.

From the same floor, at the back of the building, one can enjoy the view over a beautiful garden.

But that’s not all. Ravouna’s Coffee & Bar also has a coffee-roasting facility upstairs! “The highest quality green coffee beans are chosen from all around the world and roasted on the premises. Our baristas have been trained by the famous barista trainer Chris Owens to produce the best tasting coffee, using the freshest coffee beans preserved with utmost care.”

On that same floor, I noticed the original beautifully restored radiators! Just look at it! Excellent that there are still people who appreciate these old radiators enough and pay heaps of money to have them refurbished.

Going all the way up to the 5th floor (inbetween floors have been turned into a luxurious hotel) a spectacular view awaits us from the almost finished rooftop terrace! This summer, the terrace will be open to the public. And boy, will the Ravouna Coffee & Bar be popular this summer!!! Looking to the left, over the Bosporus, you can see Asia. And to the right, over the Golden Horn, you can see the Topkapi Palace, the Haghia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. And straight ahead, the Sea of Marmara. Wow!

In my previous post I wrote about a small Art Nouveau building in Dordrecht that had looked hideous for decades, but thanks to an architecture lover has now been refurbished beautifully. And also in Istanbul, there apparently are people who appreciate Fin-de-Siècle architecture enough to be willing to invest in the restoration. The Ravouna House is proof of that. Let’s just hope the rescue of Flora Han and the Botter House, two other magnificent yet painfully neglected Art Nouveau buildings in Istanbul, will follow soon… before it is too late…

Source
Art Nouveau in Istanbul (Dutch PDF)
Concept of Westernization and the role of foreign architects in 19th century Ottoman architecture
The Constantinople Spirit
İstanbul’s forgotten art nouveau heritage
Istanbul Modern
Ravouna Building, a Brochure about the building’s history (PDF).
Ravouna1906.com

I had already been expecting the announcement for a couple of days, and today it actually came… 10 June 2015 we are going to celebrate the 3rd World Art Nouveau Day!

Art Nouveau Selfie Contest 2014
Spuiweg 176-180, Dordrecht

Last year, Réseau Art Nouveau Network (RANN) organised an Art Nouveau Selfie Contest, and this year they’re going to organise a contest again. No selfies though…

For this 3rd edition of World Art Nouveau Day, we are all invited to share our vision of

Women in Art Nouveau.

How to participate in the competition? Select a picture of a woman you consider influential as an artist, or as a muse. Or, select a piece of art which represents an influential woman in the Art Nouveau movement. Anything is possible.

Send your photo to info@artnouveau-net.eu before the 9th of June 2015. Please mention the name of the artwork, the name of the artist, the location (place / city), date and ©Copyright information.

Bertha Lum

My personal favourite woman in Art Nouveau is, without a doubt, Bertha Lum (1869-1954) as she is absolutely exemplary of the female artists during the Fin-de-Siècle. Bertha went to Japan, mastered Japanese woodblock printing techniques and produced magnificent Art Nouveau prints.

All submitted photo’s will be published on 10 June 2015 on Facebook, and subject to voting. Then, two prizes will be awarded:

1. “the Internet Community’s Prize” for the picture that received most likes
2. “the Jury’s Prize” awarded by the RANN office for originality and link to the theme

If your photo is among the ten most liked pictures, The Réseau Art Nouveau Network has a surprise for you!

Good Luck everyone!

Source
Réseau Art Nouveau Network
Original announcement on Facebook
Bertha Lum Homepage
Wikipage about Bertha Lum

Excellent news this week; it’s finally going to happen!

What?

I am going to Barcelona!

Three years ago, in my very first blog post, I wrote that “I learned about Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926), bought a beautiful book about his work and told myself I could go to Barcelona only after I finish reading the whole book… Well, Barcelona is still on my bucket list, but I’m sure I will be able to read the book within the coming year or so!”

I still haven’t read the book…

Three days ago I received an e-mail from Lluís Bosch, editor of the magazine coupDefouet and head of the Executive Team of the 2nd coupDefouet International Congress on Art Nouveau. He invited me to come to Barcelona and attend the Congress as a member of the press.

Now I have to read the book.

And the thing is, a few weeks ago, the Art Nouveau Club (which belongs to the same organisation) sent me a whole series of guide books about Art Nouveau in Barcelona. I would love to read them all before I go, but I only have 3 weeks! Impossible.

So I’ll stick to my original plan… I’m going to read the book.

The 2nd coupDefouet International Congress

The Art Nouveau European Route is a non-profit association of local governments and non-governmental institutions that have joined together in a collective commitment to develop useful and efficient mechanisms for the international promotion and protection of Art Nouveau heritage. The Route publishes the coupDefouet magazine, with content contributed by its members.

To fully explore the value of Art Nouveau heritage a Congress is organised every two years. This year’s edition will shed new light on an aspect that has been studied very little, if at all: the important contribution of women to the development of Art Nouveau. Women as artists, women as muses, women as promoters and protagonists of Art Nouveau. Also the female aesthetic and ideal in Art Nouveau will be reviewed. And third, the congress will focus on little-known Art Nouveau cities that have not yet been getting much attention.

The program looks promising. I am particularly looking forward to Strand 3. The New Frontiers: Unveiling Art Nouveau Cities. For instance Adela Ramona Novicov’s Oradea – The Ultimate Geometric Art Nouveau Outpost. I also hope that Alison Brown’s paper Re-evaluating ‘The Glasgow Girls’: A timeline of Early Emancipation at the Glasgow School of Art and Julija Lozzi-Barković’ paper Art Nouveau Architecture in Rijeka – Between the Central European and the Mediterranean Cultural Circles will be ready in time.

That’s it for now… I have to do some serious reading tonight!

Source
Antoni Gaudi by Rainer Zerbst
Art Nouveau Club
Coup de Fouet, all Magazines in PDF
Coup de Fouet, the International Congress

Casa Milà La Pedrera Barcelona

Wouldn’t you be excited if you were invited to indulge yourself a whole week in Art Nouveau… in Barcelona?

Wouldn’t you love to visit Barcelona’s famous museums with the most knowledgeable guides, attend concerts at mesmerizing locations and day after day listen to both seasoned and young Art Nouveau researchers from all over the world?

I am só excited!!!

Two more days, and then I’m off.

Last week I received a list with the complete program, all complementary activities and a request to fill in my preferences. Piece-of-cake! Here’s my itinerary for the coming week.

And of course I have to fit a concert at Palau de la Música Catalana in my busy schedule! Am I forgetting anything else?

The themes of the presentation strands are as follows:
Strand 1 Breaking the Art Nouveau Glass Ceiling: The Women of Art Nouveau
Strand 2 The Eye of an Era: Art Nouveau Interpretations of the Feminine
Strand 3 The New Frontiers: Unveiling Art Nouveau Cities
Strand 4 Research and Doctoral Theses in Progress

I am most excited about the 1st and the 3rd strand as those are subjects that are close to my heart. But I am sure the other two strands will be interesting as well. I love to hear new things. Look at things from another angle. And improve my knowledge.

But what I think I am looking forward to the most is this: I will be meeting like-minded people from all over the world. People who love Art Nouveau. Who study the mind-blowing designs in Art Nouveau decorative arts, the sensational architecture that came alive at the turn of the century, or the psychology behind all that creativity. Passionate people, no doubt. And hopefully a few new friends for life.

PS. The coming week I’ll be communicating live from Barcelona, so if you like to be in the loop, follow me on Facebook and/or Twitter.

PPS. I finished reading the book!

Read more
Art Nouveau European Route

After I had checked-in at the apartment, I was supposed to register at the tourist information office and collect my documents. It was quite a walk. And as I decided not to go back to my apartment immediately, I ended up going to bed way past midnight. That’s because I couldn’t stop wondering what would be around that next corner and I couldn’t stop taking pictures. So here we go…

~~~~~~

Cafe de l’Opera de Bacelona – La Rambla 74

~~~~~~

Casa Batlló (which is by the way not included in the program – I wonder why not!?) – Passeig de Gràcia 43

~~~~~~

Benches with street lanterns (32 in total) along the Passeig de Gracia, designed by Pere Falqués i Urpi in 1906 (I just love these!)

~~~~~~

Molly’s Fair City (Irish Pub) – Ferran 7

~~~~~~

The Grill Room – Escudellers 8

~~~~~~

Ruta del Modernisme (Art Nouveau Walk) – At the Tourist Information Office, you can get a free map of Barcelona with all Modernisme buildings on it. And the nice thing about this walk is that there are tiles in the pavement helping you find your way (which I find rather great since I can’t seem to find my way in Barcelona at all…)

~~~~~~

I ended my first day at the Casa Milá, or as they call it here ‘La Pedrera’ (which means the Quarry). More pictures of La Pedrera will follow shortly as the congress is being organized in this building.

La Pedrera – Casa Milá

In short… it was sunny, temperatures were around 28 degrees Celsius, and I took no less than 165 pictures. Not a bad score for a first day, isn’t it?

Let me know what you think of Barcelona so far; or tell me where to go.

Read more?
II coupDefouet International Congress
Walking Routes: Passeig de Gracia

This morning I woke up an hour before my alarm went of, I guess from excitement. My room is small and simple, but that’s fine because I won’t be spending much time there anyway. There was a trip to Terrassa on today’s program, guided by Domènec Ferran Gómez, the director of the Museu de Terrassa. Domènec was a perfect guide as he knew people everywhere, getting us inside private buildings that would otherwise have been closed to us.

The first building we visited was the Vapor Aymerich, Amat i Jover building, designed by the Catalan architect Lluís Muncunill i Parellada (1868-1926) and completed in 1909. The most interesting part of this building is, if you ask me, without a doubt its roof. It consists of 161 so-called Catalan Vaults. (I wrote about this phenomenon ‘Catalan Vault’ in my blog about the secret subway station right underneath New York city hall.)

~~~~~

Another magnificent building by Lluís Muncunill i Parellada is Masia Freixa. He designed the Masia Freixa in 1896 for the textile manufacturer Josep Freixa. Inspired by Lluís Domènech i Montaner and by Antoni Gaudí he started the Terrassa modernisme. The most prominent feature of the Masia Freixa is the parabolic shape that is used everywhere. Gaudí had a theory that, with parabolic shapes, we can stay much closer to nature, and distribute the load much more evenly. This building was most definitely my highlight of the day!

~~~~~

And then there was a small museum. Casa Alegre de Sagrera, once the parental home of Joaquim de Sagrera, underwent ‘modernizations’ at the beginning of the 20th century by Melcior Viñals. From the outside we would never have guessed the Art Nouveau details inside. But it was absolutely worth visiting this place. For one, because of the beautiful stained glass windows and second, because of the marvelous Art Nouveau Symbolist painting in the diningroom by Alexandre de Riquer.

And we saw só much more, but it is just too much for me to process after the congress. Last night I edited my material until 02.30 and now it is 02.30 again. I promiss to get back to the other buildings at a later date. As far as Terrassa is concerned, this will be all for today.

Marikít Taylor (historian) and Peter Ranson (architect) waving to Ron Conijn (who’s not here)

Some of us had a lovely lunch before we headed back to Barcelona for the official opening of the II CoupDefouet International Congress. The opening speech Gaudí, Gaudinisms, Gaudinists and Gaudinians was delivered by Mireia Freixa (President of the Scientific Committee of the Congress and Professor of Art History at the University of Barcelona) at the Faculty of Geography and History of the University of Barcelona.

Opening speech by Mireia Freixa Serra

After that animated speech we walked to the historical building of the University for a balmy evening at it’s gardens. It was excellent meeting everyone. New people, and interestingly enough also some people I already ‘knew’ without knowing it. They either already followed my blog, or they followed me on Facebook / Twitter!

I have a feeling this is going to be an invaluable week for me… Good night!

Read more
II coupDefouet International Congress
Catalonian Museum of Science and Industry
Wikipage about Lluís Muncunill i Parellada

Today was actually the first day of the II coupDefouet International Congress. Subject of the todays papers was Breaking the Art Nouveau Glass Ceiling: The Women of Art Nouveau. You can download all papers that have been discussed today here.

Keynote Speech II coupDefouet International Congress

Judith Rohrer (Associate Professor of Art History at the Emory College of Arts and Sciences in Atlanta) delivered the keynote speech Before we Break the Glass Ceiling, let’s find out who designed it! Thoughts on Women and Art Nouveau.

The papers that I personally found most interesting were these ones:

• Mario Baeck – An Unexpected Wonder: the Art Nouveau Winter Garden of the Ursuline Institute in Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Waver (Belgium)
• Alison Brown – Re-evaluating ‘The Glasgow Girls’: A timeline of Early Emancipation at the Glasgow School of Art
• Magdalena Długosz – Art Nouveau Designs and Weaving Work of Wanda Bibrowicz-Wislicenus
• David A. Hill – Mary Seaton Watts and the Watts Mortuary Chapel
• Renja Suominen-Kokkonen – Art Nouveau and Finnish Women Architects: Wivi Lönn – A Case Study
• Marikit Taylor – Pine Trees, Pinecones and Gentians: While the Boys were Playing, Marie-Louise Goering was Silently Redesigning La Chaux-de-Fonds

After a long yet absolutely interesting day, we moved to the Güell Pavilions for the fun part of the program, dinner and a Jazz concert!

Entrance Gate of Güell Pavilions

We first got a few presentations inside the former stables of the Güell Pavilions. However, as it was still 30 degrees, they kept the presentations as short as possible.

The presentations basically explained that the Güell Pavilions, which belong to the Barcelona University, have not been maintained very well over the years and need a restoration rather badly. The University has asked the World Monuments Fund for assistance and fortunately their request was granted.

An interesting project that is developed parallel is an App called Modernismo Invisible. This app will suggest alternative routes along lesser- and unknown Art Nouveau architecture, between the widely known Art Nouveau monuments in Barcelona. Idea behind this App is to spread the large crowds that currently move from one monument to the next monument. And besides unburdening the main routes, the App will also draw attention to smaller gems that are definitely worth discovering but would otherwise be neglected. I have asked the developer to inform me as soon as the App is live so I can add it to my App page for you.

The above 3 pictures should give you an idea of the current state of the Güell Pavilions.

Outside in the gardens (remember is was still 30 degrees!), a lovely buffet was prepared for us, creating the perfect opportunity to mingle and meet new people. And while doing so I realised that anyone who is involved in Art Nouveau really needs to participate or at least be present at this congress.

I would like to conclude todays report with a few pictures of the magnificent gate Antoni Gaudí made for the Güell Pavilions, the Dragon Gate.

Tagged: CoupDeFouet International Congress, Güell Pavilions, Glasgow Girls, La Pedrera, Marie-Louise Goering, Modernismo Invisible, Wanda Bibrowicz-Wislicenus, Watts Mortuary Chapel, Winter Garden of the Ursuline Institute, Wivi Lönn, World Monuments Fund

The first topic today was The Eye of an Era: Art Nouveau Interpretations of the Feminine. And again, all papers presented on this topic can be downloaded.

The keynote speech Hybrid Femininity and Art Nouveau was delivered by Elizabeth K. Mix (Associate Art History Professor at Butler University in Indianapolis).

I hope Elizabeth’s paper or her slide show will be available soon as she had quite some interesting pictures for us. Pictures that illustrated the way men perceived women back in the 1900s. Pictures that didn’t paint a pretty picture if you’ld ask me! The women in the pictures were all hybrids, half woman half animal. And of course it’s nice to be compared with a lovely fawn. But it’s a whole other ballgame if you are depicted as a vampire bat, a rat or a fat turkey. Of course the men in the pictures were all dressed as hunters, and they all carried a gun… Interesting story!

During my lunchbreak, I took the guided tour of the Casa Milá, or as it is called by the locals, La Pedrera, which means the Quarry. We had an excellent guide, Sílvia Vilarroya, who is actually the curator of the permanent exhibition at Casa Milá. You will understand that I took hundreds of pictures, much more than I could possibly share with you today, but I have tried to narrow it down to a nice selection.

Now for those of you who don’t know this, there is one apartment on the 4th floor that is open for visitors. The apartment is decorated and furnished the way homes of the bourgeoise in Barcelona commonly were in the early 20th century.

In the afternoon, the congress continued with a second topic Research and Doctoral Theses in Progress. The papers can be downloaded here.

Pamela Robertson (Senior Curator of The Hunterian and Professor of Glasgow University) delivered an excellent keynote speech Critical Values: The Career of Charles Rennie Mackintosh 1900-2015.

With architecture being my favourite Art Nouveau subject, I was most excited about these papers:

• Tamás Csáki – Hospital and School or Fortress and Temple – Jewish Community Buildings by Béla Lajta
• Alberto Darias / Jonás Armas – Catalan Presence in Turn-of-the-century Architecture in the Canary Islands
• Ignacio Matoses Ortells – The Legacy of Buenaventura Ferrando at his Home Town. Sueca 1908-1925

I wish I had also been able to hear the presentation of Lilla Zámbó (“Patrimonialisation” of Hungarian Art Nouveau Architecture in the Carpathian Basin through the example of Budapest, Bratislava, Târgu Mureş and Subotica), but the congress ran over by at least half an hour and some of us had to race to Palau Güell for our 7 pm guided tour.

Palau Güell was one of the first important commissions Antoni Gaudí received at the start of his career. Eusebi Güell (industrialist, politician and patron of arts) wanted Gaudí to build him an urban palace. And so he did…

From my modest selection of photos you can see that this is still an early work as Gaudí has not yet developed his own unique style. The Palau Güell could easily have been a mediaeval castle. However, the selected materials, the parabolic shapes and the ventilation shafts on the roof are signs that Gaudí’s creativity was at this stage already moving into the direction that would eventually make him immortal.

Benjamin Herman Trio

As if this wasn’t enough for one day yet, we were also invited to a Jazz concert on the rooftop of La Pedrera. Now who can resist a balmy night on top of the La Pedrera, listening to the Benjamin Herman Trio with a nice glass of Cava? I had a lovely evening.

More information
What is Casa Milá?

Today was officially the last day of the II coupDefouet International Congress and it promised to be a long day. The lectures would end at around 2.30 pm but we had a couple more guided tours on the program as well.

The subject of todays papers was The New Frontiers: Unveiling Art Nouveau Cities. The growing popularity of Art Nouveau in the last decades has made it possible for both specialists and, to a certain extent, the general public, to discover previously little-known Art Nouveau heritage in cities and regions across Europe and the world. But the true extent of the creative Art Nouveau explosion of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries still has to be fully assessed, and new discoveries are seeing the light periodically.

Harbin Chinese Eastern Railway Station 1903

This was certainly my personal favourite subject and all papers were, without any exceptions, highly interesting. Most surprising to me was the presentation by Paolo Cornaglia. He showed us some amazing Art Nouveau architecture in, of all places, China! His explanation was excellent; I absolutely enjoyed this presentation.

The Keynote speech Forgotten Cities: Rescuing and considering Art Nouveau Heritage was prepared by Teresa-M. Sala (Art Historian, Professor at the University of Barcelona, GRACMON). Her presentation included lots of pictures of Art Nouveau heritage in unexpected places, like for instance Havana.

All papers can be downloaded here.

• Karin Hallas-Murula – Art Nouveau Architecture in Tallin: International and Multinational
• Pablo Sánchez Izquierdo – Maritime Trade, Tourism and Art Nouveau: Alicante in the Early Twentieth Century
• M. Beatrice Bettazzi – Paolo Sironi and Art Nouveau in Bologna. On the Mental Shift about Bourgeois Dwellings in an Italian City
• Florencia Barcina – Art Nouveau in Rosario, Argentina: Diversity in a New City
• Adela Ramona Novicov – Oradea – The Ultimate Geometric Art Nouveau Outpost
• Montserrat Gali Boadella – Art Nouveau in Puebla, the Expression of a Peripheral Bourgeoisie with Cosmopolitan Aspirations
• Rosalva Loreto López – From Baroque to Modernity in a Mexican City: Puebla Between 1886 and 1920
• Zuzana Ragulová – Czech Art Nouveau Architecture in the Cities of Prague, Brno and Hradec Králové
• Paolo Cornaglia / Rosa Tamborrino – To the Borders of Art Nouveau: Czernowitz and Harbin
• Jos Vandenbreeden – Unknown Art Nouveau. The Diaspora from Belgium, France and Catalonia to Kiev… and from Antwerp to Kinshasa

With above titles it is evident that we journeyed to all corners of the world today. In some cities there is ‘real’ Art Nouveau architecture to be found; in other cities it is merely the decoration of existing buildings that forms the Art Nouveau heritage. But does that make these ambiguous buildings less interesting? Paul Greenhalgh (director of the Sainsbury Center for Visual Arts and professor at the East Anglia University) rightly said “We’re going to update the definition of Art Nouveau”.

Valérie Thomas (Head Curator of the École de Nancy Museum) delivered an excellent closing speech The 1900 Universal Exhibition, a Consecration for Art Nouveau. The Example of Emile Gallé, in which she explained the political background of Emile Gallé’s symbolic decorations.

Yet after this closing speech the days wasn’t nearly finished! We had two more guided tours ahead. One at Casa Amatller and one at Casa Lleó Morera.

Casa Amatller, located at Passeig de Gràcia 41, was designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch for chocolate manufacturer Antoni Amatller, and built between 1898 and 1900. The house has the appearance of an urban Gothic mansion, but is nevertheless a real Art Nouveau treasure. Sprinkled with mediaeval details, sgraffito, sculptures and stucco work, the house is a spectacular example of the opulent gilded atmosphere enjoyed by the bourgeoise of the ‘Modernista Eixample’, the Art Nouveau part of Eixample district.

Still in awe of the Casa Amatller interior we wandered to Casa Lleó Morera at Passeig de Gràcia 35. Little were we prepared for what was awaiting us there. The interior of Casa Lleó Morera gives new meaning to the word ‘overwhelming’. Words do no justice to what we were about to see…

Francesca Morera i Ortiz inherited a building from her uncle on Passeig de Gràcia 35. She commissioned the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner to work on it but she died before seeing the finished work. It was her son, Albert Lleó i Morera, who took charge of the house, giving it the name by which it is known today, Casa Lleó Morera. Lluís Domènech i Montaner, who surrounded himself by a large group of master artists and craftsmen like the sculptor Eusebi Arnau, mosaicist Mario Maragliano and cabinetmaker Gaspar Homar, absolutelty created a magnificent master piece. The interior of Casa Lleó Morera is an explosion of Modernism, and said to be one of the best preserved interiors in the city.

You can imagine that we were exhausted after this long day. Completely flabbergasted by the breathtaking beauty of Barcelona Modernism it was time to sit down and have a beer…

Read more?
Casa Amatller
Casa Lleó Morera

Oh, you thought my adventures in Barcelona were over? Well… they weren’t over just yet! The next morning we were expected at the Plaça Catalunya at 9 am where a comfortable touring car was already waiting for us. Our group had become quite close in the past few days and it was nice to have a chat with everyone on the way to our destination: Reus.

Due to its textile- and liquor trade Reus experienced a phenomenal growth in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. At the turn of the 20th century Reus had grown só much that it had become the second largest city of Catalonia, after Barcelona.

Catalan Modernism, the local variety of the international Art Nouveau movement, was welcomed in Reus with open arms. The arrival of architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner in 1898 – when he was asked to build the Institut Pere Mata – marks the beginning of a glorious era; there are close to one hundred modernist buildings in Reus (private buildings, public buildings as well as shops) that reflect the taste of the wealthy bourgeoisie around 1900.

Institut Pere Mata

The first building we went to visit was of course the beautiful Institut Pere Mata, originally built as a psychiatric hospital between 1898 and 1912, some two kilometers out-of-town. The previous hospital had been right in the middle of the filthy industry but new theories had demanded a healthier environment. Peace and quiet, nature and beauty were to be the answer to mental illnesses.

The 1897 plan for the hospital contained 11 pavilions, separated by spacious gardens. Based on type of illness, social class and gender the pavilions were divided into three groups. We visited pavilion 6, Pabellon dels Distingits, an oasis of luxury for the wealthy who could afford to pay a considerable contribution to the institute.

To measure up to the standards the upper class clientele was accustomed to, Lluis Domènech i Montaner not only called in the help of his regular workers like Lluís Bru, he also contracted first class professionals to come to Reus. Casas y Bardés, Joan Paradís, Rigalt and Granell i Cia to name a few. And they only used the best materials. Tiles, ceramics, stained glass, wrought iron, marquetry. You name it, it’s there. The furniture was designed by Josep Prat and Joan Montagut; the walls were painted by Figuerola and Vernis. Walking around in these quarters, we didn’t know where to look first. Who wouldn’t want to recover here for a few months?

One more thing that is very interesting to note is the fact that Domènech i Montaner implemented several solutions in the Institut Pere Mata that show his interest in adapting the architecture to the function of the building. There is no eye in the center of the staircase to avoid accidents for instance. And to make cleaning more easy, toilets and bathrooms were completely tiled. For the same hygiene reasons semicircular ceramic parts were used to avoid corners between walls, ceilings and floors.

After again a breathtaking experience, we walked part of the ‘Modernisme Route’, from Plaça del Nen de les Oques to Plaça del Mercadal, where we would visit the Gaudi Centre and the cream of the crop Casa Navàs.

The Gaudi Centre is a small touch & feel museum where Gaudí’s philosophy and work is explained by means of maquettes, photo’s, films etc. A nice way to get some insight without having to read all the books.

Our guide at Casa Navàs was one of the owners of the building, a descendant of Joaquim Navàs Padró. Navàs had commissioned Lluís Domènech i Montaner to build him a house with a shop on the ground floor. What is probably most significant here, is the fact that Navàs gave Domènech carte blanche with the commission. “Do what ever you like.” And that is what Domènech has exactly done! Room after room, the splendour just doesn’t end. We were not allowed to take pictures inside the house, and maybe that was a good thing. Otherwise we would still be taking pictures…

Pictures in the verstibule were allowed. Impressive, isn’t it? And that’s just the entrance of the house!

Fortunately for you, I have a friend who visited Casa Navàs some 15 years ago. He managed to take some old-fashioned photo’s. You know what I mean, with negatives, printed on photographic paper. Valentí scanned his photo’s for me so that I can show you at least some of the pomp and circumstance that Domènech and his talented workforce bestowed upon us.

Most of the interior decorating was done by the legendary Gaspar Homar (1870-1953), who was one of the finest craftsmen of Catalan Art Nouveau. If you would like to see more interior photo’s, there are some really nice ones circling the web which I’ve collected on Pinterest.

For lunch we were feasted on delicious tapas and a Vermut tasting. And then, off to Tarragona for another guided tour. Now Tarragona is really nice, and our guides were rightly proud of their city. But compared to what we had already seen, it didn’t do it for me. Most beautiful Art Nouveau object we saw in Tarragona was probably the tomb Lluís Domènech i Montaner made for king James in 1908. It is currently on display inside the city hall as it was never actually used.

Back in Barcelona some of us decided to have a drink at the Palau de la Música Catalana in order to end the day in style. But then, it was really over. A fantastic week had come to an end.

I have enjoyed being part of the group and part of the II coupDefouet International Congress tremendously and all that is left for me is to recommend this congress to anyone who is interested in Art Nouveau. The team that organizes this congress does everything in their power to make you feel welcome and to make your participation unforgettable. If you add up all the entrance tickets, guided tours, meals and concerts, you end way higher than the registration fee for the congress. And don’t forget the invaluable contacts you’ll make. From all over the world Art Nouveau lovers gather here to tell about their latest discoveries, about the projects they are working on or places they have visited.

Thank you Mireia Freixa, thank you Lluís Bosch and thank you to all the other wonderful people who made this II coupDefouet Congress unforgettable for me!

Read more?
II coupDefouet International Congress
Especialistes en l’Art Nouveau europeu faran la Ruta Modernista de Reus
Gaudi Centre Reus
Un grup de participants al Congrés Internacional Coup de Fouet visiten Reus
Restaurant Vermut Rofes

And yet, there is more!

Monday night, the activities of the II coupDefouet International Congress had ended, at last. But Vueling didn’t fly back home on Tuesday, so I had one more day. Peter Ranson, a friendly Edinburgh architect whom I had met at the congress, wasn’t going home yet either. We decided to have breakfast together at the Hotel-Bakery Praktik and then head for the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.

Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

Due to the rapid late nineteenth century growth of Barcelona’s population and advanced knowledge in medicine, the existing hospitals became too small. With a legacy from the Catalan banker Pau Gil i Serra, a new hospital, designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, was commissioned in 1902, and opened in 1930. The hospital has been fully functional until June 2009 when again advanced knowledge demanded new premises.

Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau in 1903 © Sant Pau Recinte Modernista

Lluís Domènech i Montaner designed the hospital with its own layout, like a city within the city, at a 45º angle to the existing street plan. He allocated 145m² per patient, including the landscaped grounds, which was far more than that of the best European hospitals at the time. The site is as big as 9 street blocks of the neighbouring Eixample district.

The original plan was to build 48 pavilions but that number was eventually reduced to 27 of which only 16 are in Modernista (Art Nouveau) style. Of these, 12 were built by the architect himself, while the remainder was built by his son Pere Domènech i Roura. Each pavilion was assigned to a specific medical speciality, and all pavilions were linked by one kilometre of underground tunnels.

The chosen materials – including red brick, stone, sculptures, ceramics, mosaics, wood, marble, glass and metal – were the best; the most durable and the most suitable, from a decorative as well as from a hygienic point of view. I found it absolutely incredible to see what was accomplished one hundred years ago. Technically, but maybe even more so, aesthetically. If only todays hospitals possessed a fraction of the beauty of the two hospitals Lluís Domènech i Montaner built in Reus and Barcelona.

My Favourite Photo of Casa Batlló by Antoni Gaudí (Barcelona)

Another building that was still on my bucket list was the famous Casa Batlló by Antoni Gaudí. I have always been fascinated by this extremely odd building. And no way I was going to leave Barcelona without seeing it.

Inside Casa Batlló you get a device with headphones so you can take the guided tour in your own language and at your own pace. That seems extremely convenient. But the device didn’t work as well as expected, and most of the time I only listened to the guide. I preferred looking at the building instead of at a screen. I felt like looking at the screen was preventing me from actually seeing what Gaudí created.

The device also gave me a ‘disconnected’ feel. Like you’re alone in the house. But you’re not. Like ants, people were everywhere! Just imagine: all rooms in the house were empty, except for a swarming crowd. And the only information available was inside a device. Everyone was staring at his own device and they were all bumping into each other.

I tried to take pictures, most of which are unsatisfactory because of all these people. To get an idea of the interior of Casa Batlló I would like to suggest you watch the official video here. Much better.

A Spanish friend told me Casa Batlló is owned by the multi-million dollar company Chupa Chups that uses the museum as a cash cow. Now, I don’t know anything about the motives of the Bernat family that is behind Chupa Chups. But in combination with the extreme entrance fees and my personal experience the information did cause some mixed feelings.

After I left Casa Batlló there was one more place I wanted to go. The Museu del Modernisme Barcelona, a private museum specialized in Catalan Modernisme, a few blocks away from Casa Batlló. The museum houses a splendid collection of furniture that used to be in famous houses like Casa Batlló, Casa Mila and Casa Calvet, and objects by designers like Antoni Gaudí and Gaspar Homar i Mezquida. A collection which a married couple of Barcelona antique dealers, Fernando Pinós and María Guirao, have amassed during their 40 years in business.

With only two more visitors at this museum, I could take my time and fully enjoy every object. The museum is relatively small, only two floors, yet a must see for every Art Nouveau lover exploring Barcelona. There was only one thing I regretted about my visit to this museum: afraid my suitcase would get too heavy, I didn’t buy the catalogue. Stupid. The catalogue was very complete and only €6,-.

And this, my dear reader, concludes my week in Barcelona. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined my first encounter with Barcelona to be so intense. Eager to see as much as possible, I have had an itinerary that might be too much for a regular holiday. But I do hope I have given you insight into what Barcelona has to offer. More importantly, I hope I have made clear the exceptional added value of participating in the coupDefouet International Congress. See you there next time???

Read more
II coupDefouet International Congress
Mein-Barcelona.com
Casa Batlló
Museu del Modernisme Barcelona
Museu del Modernisme Barcelona – Discount Tickets
NRC Cultuurblog
Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site
Wikipage Hospital de Sant Pau

“Beauty will save the world” (Dostoyevsky)

For the 3rd year in a row, the website ITALIA LIBERTY (by Andrea Speziali) is organizing a sensational photo contest. Goal of the competition is to pay homage to our amazing Art Nouveau heritage and to get more people passionate about the beauty of Art Nouveau; Art Nouveau buildings, sculptures, paintings and graphic- and applied arts.

In previous years, the competition only allowed entries of Italian Liberty. This year, thanks to a cooperation with some prestigious international organisations such as the Art Nouveau European Route, Magazine Coup De Fouet, Reseau Art Nouveau Network and the Victor Horta Museum it is possible to expand the horizon and allow photos of Art Nouveau from all over the world. So here’s your chance!

Whether you are a student, or a veteran, an expert or an amateur, a classroom full of students, a public or a private entity, Italian or foreign; Participation is free, and everyone is allowed to join!

This year there are 3 categories:

1. Italian Liberty (max. 30 photos per participant)
2. Video (max. 1 video per participant)
3. The World Art Nouveau (max. 20 photos per participant)

On the Italian website, a Registration Form can be downloaded. Please note the address space doesn’t allow for other than Italian addresses; you should be a little creative when filling out this form. Send your form to concorso@italialiberty.it before the 31st of October 2015. You have untill the 8th of November 2015 to submit your photos / video to the same e-mail address, via wetransfer.com, Dropbox or Jumbo mail (libero.it).

Photographs must be in digital format and at the highest resolution possible. The choice of format and extension (eg: jpg, jpeg, tiff, raw) is free. Pictures can be submitted in colour, black & white or sepia; They may be processed with image editing programs, and it is not necessary that they are unpublished. Not to influence the jury, no references to the author (Name, website, logo) should be included in the photos and videos… etc. etc. The rest of the rules can be found here.

Twenty finalists will be awarded: 12 in the category Italian Liberty, 3 in the category Video and 5 in the category The World Art Nouveau.

What are you waiting for? Submit your best photos and who knows, maybe you’ll win!?!

(The photos in this post are a selection of last year’s competition)

Read more
3° Concorso Fotografico “Italian Liberty”
Competition Regulations
Winners of the 2° Concorso Fotografico “Italian Liberty”
Winners of the 1° Concorso Fotografico “Italian Liberty”

After my first post about an accidental find of Jugendstil stamps, I got a bit carried away. I started searching for what else is available and I found much more than I could have ever imagined! Thus I wrote a second post about my discoveries. And by the time that second post was finished, I was hooked!

Last week I discovered that the Dutch mail company PostNL in 2001 issued a series of stamps related to Nieuwe Kunst, the Dutch ‘flavour’ of Art Nouveau. I found them absolutely wonderful and I just had to have them. And you know what? Searching for the best deal on a series in mint condition, the story even got better. It turned out that Davo (a publishing company that produces books related to stamp collecting) issued a complete book about this series!

Back in 2001, the book could be ordered with or without stamps; today, you can only order the version without stamps. But of course I wanted a complete book, so I found myself a secondhand copy, with stamps. The stamps are in mint condition, I only paid €5 for the set, and I am a very happy woman!

Theme Book Nieuwe Kunst 1890-1910

Now for those of you who can read Dutch, I have tried to photograph a few pages to give you an impression. But you can still order the book at the Davo webshop. And as the stamps date from before the introduction of the Euro they can no longer be used; so they are widely available on the internet, and at fairly low prices too. Therefore, I recommend you get hold of your own copy while you can, and indulge yourself. I find this book an absolute gem!

When I was little, my dad and I used to collect stamps. When I was a teenager, stamps were no longer ‘cool’. But now, after 35 years, I am officially a stamp collector again! Yeah!

Read more?
Dutch Art Nouveau: Nieuwe Kunst (New Art)
Holland on Paper in the Age of Art Nouveau
Vereniging Vrienden Nieuwe Kunst 1900
Examples of Nieuwe Kunst at Drents Museum
Partage Plus and Nieuwe Kunst

In less than two weeks, Dordrecht is participating again in the biggest heritage event of the year. Dordrecht Marketing has sent me the new brochure; we can start our preparations. This year though, the format of the brochure has changed. It is no longer printed specifically for the upcoming Heritage Open Days; It is merely an all-purpose booklet with roughly 70 of our most important monuments. For the Heritage Open Days, yet another leaflet will be printed which includes a map and a list of all activities that will take place in the second weekend in September, the so called ‘Open Monumentendagen’.

I have studied the list and noticed that some of the monuments I visited in previous years are no longer participating while only one potentially interesting monument has been added.

Huis Cronenburch © Copyright Huib Kooyker

The most important monument missing this year is ‘t Huys Cronenburch (1907), at Wijnstraat 134. It was part of the program two years ago, but only with a limited number of guided tours. I was one of the lucky people who got to see the inside. Another lacking monument is Gallery Schaeffer (1916), at Groenmarkt 78-80. The interior isn’t particularly spectacular, but it is still a shame that you can’t see it. However, if you are here already, you must go see the outside; I personally find the stone facade of the building stunningly beautiful.

‘Gallery Schaeffer’, Groenmarkt 78-80, Dordrecht

New on the list is the Ambachtsschool, designed in 1913 by B. van Bilderbeek and built in 1918/19. This school has been obsolete for quite a few years and is currently being transformed into an apartment building. I absolutely want to go and see the inside of the building as this might be the last chance. Once the apartments are ready, I don’t expect to be able to get inside again.

Ambachtsschool, Reeweg Oost 123, Dordrecht

The following list contains the monuments that I find relevant on our ‘Journey into getting to know Art Nouveau’. For your convenience, I have hyperlinked the addresses that I have previously written about. In case you don’t have enough time to visit all these monuments, you might want to skip numbers 29, 46 and 67.

(* Numbers are corresponding with the numbers in the guidebook)

The event, a national event, takes place on 12 & 13 September 2015. Most of the monuments are otherwise closed for public, therefore this event is a unique opportunity to see some spectacular heritage sites. I hope my list can help you prepare and enjoy the 2015 Heritage Open Days in Dordrecht!

Source
Monumenten in Dordrecht
Open Monumentendag
Openmonumentendag Dordrecht
Guidebook Open Monumentendagen 2014 Dordrecht in PDF
Guidebook Open Monumentendagen 2015 Amsterdam in PDF
Guidebook Open Monumentendagen 2015 Rheden-Rozendaal in PDF TIP!
Program Open Monumentendagen 2015 Assen in PDF

Most people may know Amphora as a type of large two-handled Grecian vase originally designed for storage. Art Nouveau lovers though, when visiting exhibitions regularly, know of a different kind of Amphora pottery. Personally, I love the pieces with the Mucha-esk ladies. Vases with dragons and other animals, not counting some exceptions, are less my cup-of-tea.

The name Amphora refers to art pottery produced by a particular company in Teplitz during the Art Nouveau era. There were up to 30 ceramics manufacturers in the kaolin-rich Turn-Teplitz region of Bohemia at the time. And they opened factories, closed again, changed owners, merged or shared common designers. Antique dealers and collectors often refer to Art Nouveau pottery produced in the Turn-Teplitz region collectively as Teplitz. But the name Amphora is used exclusively by one particular company.

In 1892 Alfred Stellmacher, after having been a leader in ceramics production for 17 years, encouraged his son and sons-in-law to establish a porcelain manufactory. The first Amphora manufacturer was called Riessner, Stellmacher & Kessel or The Amphora Porcelain Works. The firm consistently marked pieces with the word Amphora and became known by that name. They used a variety of marks with the word Amphora, a red ‘R.St.K’ mark, or the initials ‘RS&K’. Combining unusual shapes with striking glazes, this company was recognized as the best in Amphora. The works were signed ‘Made in Austria’. 

Thanks to skilled designers like Eduard Stellmacher, Paul Dachsel and a host of decorators from the Special Ceramics School of Teplitz, Amphora quickly developed a unique genre of Art Nouveau ceramics. When I learned about this school, I got very excited! Remember I wrote about Sergius Hruby a while back? Hruby used to be a teacher at that school! At the library of the Austrian Museum of Applied Arts I found several designs Hruby made for ceramic vases.

An unparalleled concern for fine design and the use of Alfred Stellmacher’s ‘ivory porcelain’, a matte yellowish material that was malleable yet resistant to high temperatures, is what the products have in common. Amphora’s stylistic diversity, combined with its constant standard of quality, made it a world leader among industrial manufacturers of art pottery.

The departure of Paul Dachsel in 1903 and Eduard Stellmacher in 1904 ended Amphora’s golden age.

Why am I telling you all this? Last week I received a request to help out an Amphora collector in need. Due to her personal circumstances the owner is required to sell her collection. Anyone who is interested in buying one or more of the Amphora objects depicted in this post can send me a message. I will then send you the e-mail address of the owner. Other than that, I am not involved. That’s all.

If you wish to see more detailed pictures of these particular vases on sale, here’s the link: Amphora Collection.

Sources
Amphora the Book
Amphora: Collecting and Understanding an Era
Antique Trader
Jason Jacques Gallery
Monsters and Maidens – Amphora Pottery of the Art Nouveau Era by Byron Vreeland