Showing posts with label Spandrel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spandrel. Show all posts

Friday, August 7, 2015

Fővárosi Serfőzde Rt.

The Fővárosi Serfőzde Rt. (Capitol City Brewery) was established in Budapest's District X in 1913 and began production the following year. It was bought in 1943 by Dreher brewery and later by the Globus Canning Factory (Globus Konzervgyár Rt.). Production stopped in 2009.

Postcard depicting the brewery circa 1920


Salviati, Jesurum, and Co. reportedly made the two mosaics, which decorate separate parts of the enormous, red brick factory complex. The medallions look identical and depict King Mathias Corvinus (Mátyás király) on a golden background shown in a side portrait. The brewery's initials of "F" and "S" flank the face on each side, with the words "VED-JEGY" (trademark or brand) and "MATYAS KIRALY" around it on a ring of blue.


The building framing a large chimney and facing Maglodi Street contains the (currently) more degraded mosaic. The laurel wreath around the mosaic center - appearing to be copper, but likely made of maiolica with an eosin glaze - is attributed to the Zsolnay Porcelain Manufacture of Pécs and measures four meters in diameter.


The second medallion is located on the spandrel of a covered walkway that connects two buildings. This also faces Maglodi Street, but is a much smaller mosaic (detail above).


Sources:
Pilsitz, Martin. On the Industrial Urban Development of Pest in the 19th Century. periodica polytechnica. 43/1 (2012). 37-44.
Balatoni, Mihaly, et al. A Magyar élelmiszeripar története. Budapest: Mezőgazdasági Kiadó, 1986. 533.
Zubrecki, David. Irodanak Hirdetik az Egyik Legszebb Pesti Ipari Muemleket. Index. June 10, 2015. 

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Albert Memorial

G.G. Scott won the competition to design this memorial to Queen Victoria's late husband in 1863. It is located in London's Kensington Gardens, just to the north of the Royal Albert Hall and not far from the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain.


The cartoons for the eight exterior spandrels, four triangular gables, and the interior of the dome were painted by J.R. Clayton, which Salviati decorated with 1,200 sq ft of Venetian mosaic.



South facade - Poetry


East facade - Painting


North facade - Architecture


West facade - Sculpture

Albert was a great patron of the arts and the gables depict enthroned allegorical figures of Painting, Sculpture, Poetry, and Architecture, while the spandrels shows the artists at work in those fields.

Sources:
Barr, Sheldon. Venetian Glass Mosaics: 1860-1917. London: Antique Collectors' Club, 2008. 18-20.
Wikimedia Commons Photo by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0
Monceau's flickr Photostream
Photosecrets
Losing It

Monday, July 8, 2013

Roman Voda Lyceum

The Roman Voda National College is a primary and high school in the city of Roman. It was established in 1872 and it moved into its current location in 1899.


Salviati decorated the facade, along with those of two other high schools in the Romanian cities of Pitesti and Focsani with mosaic spandrels featuring a floral motif and heraldry in the gable above the entrance.



Sources:
Barr, Sheldon. Ventian Glass Mosaics: 1860-1917. London: Antique Collectors' Club, 2008. 138.
Wikipedia RO
Zang
Yahoo Groups
CDT Photo

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Apple Store at 235 Regent Street

Currently serving as an Apple Store in downtown London, this building spanning an entire block of Regent Street was built in 1898, well after Antonio Salviati's death. However, the facade contains some very prominent spandrel mosaics produced by the firm at the time to advertise their shop that occupied the premises.


Overall, four coats-of-arms and two lions are represented. Above them are some of the cities where Salviati's wares could be found: Paris, New York, St. Petersburg and Berlin.

On the left is the heraldry for the cities of London and Westminster, along with the British royal lion.

 
On the right, the islands of Murano and Burano are represented, along with the Venetian lion of St. Mark.



Sources:
British Listed Buildings
curry15 flickr Photostream
ifoapplestore
Caroline's Miscellany
Wikimedia Commons

Friday, December 21, 2012

St. Paul's Cathedral

St. Paul's Cathedral in central London, designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1675-1710,  contains several Salviati mosaics under its grand dome.


In 1862, the first two of eight decorated spandrels were commissioned.



Isaiah, designed by Alfred Stevens, was installed in 1864.


Matthew, based on a design by G.F. Watts, was installed in 1866.


The four Evangelists (from left to right): Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.


The designs for Jeremiah and John were also began by Watts, while those for Ezekiel and Daniel were by either Watts or Stevens. However, neither man was able to bring the work to completion, so they were finished by W.E.F. Britten, along with his own designs for Mark and Luke.  They were manufactured in Venice in 1893.

The four Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel.



Sources:
Barr, Sheldon. Venetian Glass Mosaics: 1860-1917. London: Antique Collectors’ Club Ltd., 2008. 20-21.
St. Paul's Cathedral History
Explore St. Paul's Cathedral
St. Paul's Cathedral Virtual Tour
Christian Image Source