Thursday, November 21, 2013

Opera Garnier, Facade Loggia

In addition to the mosaic ceiling in the Avant Foyer, Salviati also made five mosaic roundels of smiling or frowning grotesque masks for the ceiling of the opera's facade loggia.




Sources:
Barr, Sheldon. Venetian Glass Mosaics: 1860-1917. London: Antique Collectors' Club, 2008. 29.
Steven Zucker's flickr Photostream
Travel to Eat
crystalseas' flickr Photostream

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

St. Saviour Church, Aberdeen Park

William White designed this church in 1865-66 with a distinct polychrome brickwork.



The stone triptych reredos contained a central crucifixion mosaic sometimes misattributed to Sir Henry Layard. Since Layard was a politician and explorer, this error was more than likely due to the fact that he was partners with Salviati in their joint mosaic business, which made the mosaic.

The church was closed in 1980 and the parish was united with Christ Church, Highbury Grove. In 1990, the dilapidated space was turned into the Florence Trust's artists studios.

View of the western end

View of the eastern end. The top of the stone reredos is visible above the white screen, which was installed to conserve the artifacts.







Sources:
Cherry, Bridget. London: North. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1998. 659.
Hadley, Dennis. "Powell's Opus Sectile Locations." pdf. 32.
Davies, John Andrew. "Site Unseen: St. Saviour's, Aberdeen Park, London." The Independent. Dec 19, 1995.
AIM25 'Islington: Churches', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 8: Islington and Stoke Newington parishes (1985), pp. 88-99.
The detailed photographs of the reredos was kindly provided by Neil Jefferies, Studio Manager at The Florence Trust.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

St. Stephen's Lewisham

G.G. Scott designed this church and it was built between 1863-65.


The reredos were designed by Scott's pupil Charles Buckeridge and carved by James Redfern. Salviati provided the mosaic tessarae that were installed to decorate the reredos by the firm of Clayton and Bell in 1873.


Sources:
Salviati, Antonio. On Mosaics. Leeds: 1865. 52.
A Church Near You
Des Blenkinsopp on Geograph
Diocese of Southwark

Monday, November 18, 2013

Queen's Robing Room, Houses of Parliament

Located between the Victoria Tower and the Royal Gallery in Westminster Palace, the Queen's Robing Room is used by the Queen of England to don her royal attire (including her royal crown) before the opening of the Houses of Parliament.


Salviati decorated the room's fireplace - designed by E.M. Barry and installed between 1864-66 - with enamel mosaics.



Sources:
Hansard, Thomas C. Parliamentary Debates: Official Report Session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Vol 198. July 26, 1869. 714.
BBC History Trails 
Barr, Sheldon. Venetian Glass Mosaics: 1860-1917. London: Antique Collectors' Club, 2008. 28.
Unsere Reisen in England
Explore Parliament
Wikipedia

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Boitzenburg Castle Chapel and Vaults

A fortress stood on this site as early as in the 13th century, however the beginnings of the present castle date to the 16th century when the von Armin family took it over.


The castle was remodeled many times, including in the neo-Renaissance style by Count Adolf von Armin between 1881-84 with architect Carl Doflein.


After Doflein's renovations

Doflein also led the construction of the family burial vaults between 1887-89 in the park northeast of the castle in an area called Caroline Grove (Carolinenhein). The stone mausoleum is guarded on each side by life-sized lion statues. Salviati is documented as having made mosaic decorations for both the castle's chapel, as well as the burial vaults.



The von Armin family burial vaults

The von Armin family lost the castle and the grounds to German nationalization during World War II, and the property fell into disrepair. The main building was extensively renovated in the 1990s and today is open as a hotel.


The interior of the vault is extremely deteriorated. 

The Waldkapelle Mellenau (Mellenau Forest Chapel) was built in 1906 by Anna von Armin Mellenau not far from the castle. It was extensively renovated in the 1990s and there are no signs of any mosaics.




Sources:
Barr, Sheldon. Venetian Glass Mosaics: 1860-1917. London: Antique Collectors' Club, 2008. 127.
Schloss Boitzenburg
Boitzenburg
Gasthof zum Grunen Baum
fzurell's flickr Photostream
Wikimedia Commons
AnjaundHenrik
Steffi Rose Fotografie
Hochzeitshotel

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Rhydd Court Chapel

Charles Francis Hansom designed the chapel for the Rhydd Court estate in 1864. Norman Shaw completed work on it between 1865-66 due to Hansom's illness. It was built on the wishes of Sir Edmund A. H. Lechmere in memory of his first son who had died.


Print circa 1870 with the Chapel on the far left

The Lechmeres moved back to their ancestral home of Severns End and the estate was used as a Red Cross Hospital beginning in 1915. After the war, it was sold and housed a boys' school until 1991. It was sold again in 2004 and operates as a home for children and adults with special needs.

While much of the chapel's interior was said to have been gutted by 2007, Shaw's mosaic reredos with the Salviati mosaics still remained. The current status of the reredos, however, is unknown.

Sources:
Barr, Sheldon. Venetian Glass Mosaics: 1860-1917. London: Antique Collectors' Club, 2008.
Museo del vetro di Murano. Vetri artistici del primo Ottocento. Regione Del Veneto, 2006. 35.
Wikipedia
Pevsner, Niklaus and Alan Brooks. Worcestershire. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007. 332.
British Towns and Villages Network
The Hanleys

Monday, November 11, 2013

In Detail: Christ Church, Southgate

Following-up on the initial post about the history of this church from January 11, 2013, I wanted to add these wonderful up-close pictures that were kindly provided by the Churchwarden of Christ Church, Southgate Mr. Phillip Dawson.









Friday, November 8, 2013

Villa Montebello

A Madame Tardiveau commissioned Salviati to make mosaics representing maritime emblems for the exterior decoration of the villa. Located just a block from the English Channel in Normandy, the former summer residence of the Marquise of Montebello was built in 1865-66 in the Second Empire style by architect Jean-Louis Celinski.


Now housing the Musee de Trouville, the organization's collection coincidentally also contains a Salviati mosaic portrait representing Titian. Salviati's records show that a mosaic of Titian was ordered by a Mr. Apetzeguia of Paris. Julio Jose, the Marquis de Apezteguia of Cuba studied in Paris before 1879 and he may have commissioned the mosaic.


Salviati exhibited a mosaic portrait of Titian - perhaps this one - at the fall 1884 meeting of the Architectural Association in London.


Titian's 16th century self-portrait in Berlin's Gemaldegalerie

Sources:
Barr, Sheldon. Venetian Glass Mosaics: 1860-1916.  London: Antique Collector's Club, 2008. 130.
Canecrabe's flickr Photostream
L'Express
Musees Basse-Normandie
Amis du Musee de Trouville
Wikimedia Commons
"Marquis de Apezteguia Dead." New York Times. April 16, 1902.
"Architectural Association." The Building News and Engineering Journal. October 17, 1884. 612.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

All Saints Church, Benhilton

Opened in 1863, this church was designed by S.S. Teulon.


Salviati decorated the pulpit with mosaics.


Sources:
Salviati, Antonio. On Mosaics (generally). 1865. 52.
Sutton
Geocaching
Stephen Craven on Geograph

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Royal Grand Palace, Bangkok

This part of the Wat Phra Kaew - or Emerald Buddha complex - once served as the former residence of the King of Siam and once consisted of 11 buildings; however, today only three of the original ones remain. The central building, or Chakri Maha Prasat, was built by then King of Siam, Rama V between 1876 to 1882 using British architects John Clunich and Henry C. Rose. The style of the building is a fusion of Italian Renaissance and traditional Thai architecture.



Salviati decorated the arched ceilings - originally planned as domes, but later substituted by Thai spires - of the central throne hall with 17,000 square feet of golden mosaics with depictions including various Siamese orders.


Throne Hall

Various sources also attribute mosaic work both on the outside of the spires, as well as on the building's gables to Salviati.


Sources:
Barr, Sheldon. Venetian Glass Mosaics: 1860-1916.  London: Antique Collectors' Club, 2008. 139.
Bangkok Magazine
Ehlers, Otto E. On Horseback through Indochina: Vietnam, Singapore, and Central Thailand. Thailand: White Lotus Press, 2002. 155.
Wikipedia
Bangkok Magazine
tjetjep rustandi's flickr Photostream
Colin Utz Photography

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Parish Church of St. Saviour and St. Peter, Eastbourne

This church was designed by G.E. Street and built 1865-68.


Antique print from 1867 from the Illustrated London News

Salviati made the chancel mosaics. The six arcades behind the carved reredos depict the twelve Apostles.


Sources:
Sussex Parish Churches
The Voice of Hassocks on Wikimedia Commons
Wikipedia
St. Saviour Eastbourne
Ebay

Monday, November 4, 2013

Not Salviati: Folkestone Parish Church

Occasionally, I come across information about a mosaic linked to Salviati that turns out to be incorrect. This chancel mosaic happens to be such a misattribution.

Also known as the Church of St. Mary and St. Eanswythe, much of the 13th century building was rebuilt in the 19th century. R.C. Hussey rebuilt the nave and north aisle 1856-59, the south chancel aisle and transept were rebuilt in 1869, while Stallwood added the west window and porch in 1872.



The chancel is lined with twelve trefoil topped mosaic panels depicting the Apostles, while a central panel shows five angels with an inscription on the base made in loving memory of Frederick Augustus Howe Fitz Gerald. Some sources have erroneously credited Carpenter with the mosaic work, while others have directly attributed it to Salviati. However, they were made by A. Cappello, an Italian mosaicist who at one point worked with the Salviati firm and used Salviati's techniques, but who ran his own workshop in London at the time he made these mosaics.


Sources:
"The Ancient Church of Folkestone, and Its Founders." The Churchman. November 20, 1897. 667.
"Mosaic Pictures for the Oratory, Brompton." The Building News and Engineering Journal. Vol. 45. 586. October 12,1883.
Bob Speel's website
British Listed Buildings
Kent Churches
TripAdvisor