T.G.I.F. Street art

 C'EST VENDREDI et...

today's fun find

Sao Paulo, Brazil: street art by talented, creative, facetious and mainly anonymous artists which surely improves the overall mood out there on the impoverished Brazilian streets...

remember those? seems so long ago...

images via http://www.foreverfun.net/

alors, amusant?

au revoir.

MADEMOISELLE Chanel on paper

MADEMOISELLE CHANEL

dessins

We all know the work of Gabrielle Chanel; we know her quilted bags, her black tipped shoes, her impeccably constructed suits, her diaphanous dresses and her pearls. We know she revolutionized the way women dressed ridding them of tight undergarments and prissy dresses. She introduced them to relaxed slightly masculine silhouettes all the while keeping in mind their femininity. What is less known is the portraits and caricatures made of her by well known artists during her long career.

A stunning portrait by French artists Marcel Vertes

a whimsical book cover

Coco by Cecil Beaton

Chanel by Peter Blake

Marie Laurencin also painted her

Her friend the caricaturist Sem did several sketches of her

She is even a subject of street art

Karl Lagerfelt drew her likeness quite successfully

Le style Chanel

a stamp project for the French Poste by KL

inspired artists 

A sketch for the New Yorker of Audrey Tautou as Chanel in the film Coco Avant 

...and a contribution from me in her honor

images newyorker, spaweek, myparisforyou, harpersbazaar, aplacetodwell, bridgemanart, alkemie

au revoir.

THE LONDON BULLETIN

C'EST MERCREDI

By  Nan Mabon, 

The American owner of Antiques Resource, the enormously successful antique furniture and accessories sourcing and buying service in London for the past 17 years, is a weekly contributor to my blog; she has the most exquisite taste, she knows the London market thoroughly and will certainly dazzle us with her choices and reports from one of the most lively, most trendy cities in Europe. 

Three times a year The Decorative Antiques Fair, held  in Battersea Park in London has been an unmissable event for me.  

There are loads of antique fairs throughout the year in the UK but none equals this one for stylish stand design and inspirational and diverse selection of  stock at relatively sensible prices. Because of the economic woes of the last few years some dealers have elected not to do the fair and there has been a huge drop off in American trade buyers.  

The most recent Fair however, which ended on January 24th saw a big surge in buying as compared to last year at this time.  This is a formula that has worked for 25 years and it is exciting to see them moving into the next decade on such a positive note.
For future fair dates check out the website:  decorativefair 

1940's French ash commode

 A particularly interesting stand--clever juxtaposition of 18th century console with 50's garden table, spikey succulent plant contrasting with an artistic arrangement of goat's horns!

This stand illustrates the wonderful ecclectic mix of English formal and country with mid-century and provincial French pieces

5ft. high 19th C. English mirror recently bought from a country house in Sussex with French parchment covered books and a hanging  English oil lamp.

Photo from the Decorative Fair's September '09 entrance foyer exhibit, Best of British Design, classic late Victorian sofa covered in the British flag.

Orkney Island chair from the early 20th century. These have been made for hundreds of years on the islands off Northern Scotland; high straw backs are for warmth and to protect the sitter from the smoky peat fires.

images nan mabon

merci Nan, 
a mercredi

au revoir.

Catherine Noll

CATHERINE NOLL

Catherine Noll was a very dear friend of mine; a girl with unlimited amounts of happy energy, creative talent, kindness and generosity. She died much too young in the early 90's; everyone loved her and we all miss her. 

She inherited her enormous talent, and a studio full of ivory, exotic woods and tools from her illustrious grandfather Alexandre Noll. He worked mostly on objects and furniture, carving splendors from ebony, mohogany and a multitude of woods I had never heard of. 

Her mother, Odile Noll, though not as productive as Alexandre Noll, followed in his artistic footsteps, but it is Catherine who shined as the true heiress to her grandfathers genius. 
Catherine was in art school, les Beaux Arts when he died and she immediately started creating sculptural jewelry from her newly inherited atelier. I am very privileged to own some of her exquisite creations.I bought some, I was given a few, she even lent me some breathtaking pieces for very special occasions. I cherish them all and always will. 

Alexandre Noll

Odile Noll

a piece I bought from Odile Noll in the early 80's

Catherine Noll

my own collection

lucite

lucite and ebony

ebony, mother of pearl and ivory

lucite and ivory

      

gilded and color lucite

a gift from Catherine: ivory, palm tree wood and gold

2 forlorn earrings I have been wearing as pendants

the bracelet was designed for Japanese designer Hanae Mori

a much loved bench, one of a few pieces of furniture she designed, that follows me everywhere I choose to live and always seems to blend seamlessly

some other pieces  by Catherine Noll recently offered at auction 

images 1st dibs, pba auctions, artnet, cregu ledue,patrick seguin, arcanabooks, leah gordon and JADHny

au revoir.