Seek and Find
Today had no art time, because we were searching for furnishings for a dining room. It seems we are falling into the Louis Philippe style, which is the French version of the German Biedermeier, from about 1815 - 1850. One tends to learn a little about historic furniture styles when looking through old pieces in Brockenhäuser and checking out the offerings of grandchildren selling off their Grandmas' furnishings.
Both those styles developed, along with the Victorian style in England, for the newly-moneyed middle classes who wanted to spend what they had, to look like they had something, yet not so extravagant as the then-defunct Napoleonic era. These styles were products of the emerging machine age, less ornate with less hand work, emphasising the wood grains and simpler forms, something suited to the relative peace and home-centered lives they enjoyed. Now we see them as something between the extravagances of the French royal styles and the starkness of the subsequent "modernist"styles, neither of which would suit us.
See pictures of the styles:
http://www.artnewsnviews.com/view-article.php?article=biedermeier-style-biedermeier-furniture&iid=16&articleid=358
Louis Philippe Möbel
THEN, one needs to find pleasing upholstery for ones chairs, when the fashion these days is entirely opposite ones likes. So we are still looking. That was our day.
So, here is
more of the Baltics, this being Riga, the capital of Latvia.
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| A walk in a park |
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| Somebody's head |
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| The shields of various municipalities of the region |
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| The suggestion was that this place would take care of enemies or other nuisances in ones life, for a fee of course. |
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| Some of our company wanted to visit this: the military museum. I looked a bit, then drew some folk costumes from displayed figures. I hate wars. |
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| First wars |
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| Last wars |
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| in-between wars |
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| Protection from wars |
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| Our young ladies found a wool shop and partook of the delights inside, from which we should see some results this winter. |
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| In case one didn't know what the shop offered.... these are historic knitting patterns from the country. |
More Pictures from Riga to follow.
I'm working on Kat's socks right this minute. Knitting weather has set in as of today. Tis the season for steaming pots (from Tallinn - I love my big red teapot) of tea, flickering candles, and several layers of wool, spun and unspun.
ReplyDeleteThis post is pretty funny, actually... the horsie, the "yarn-grinder", the wars, wars, and more wars... hee, hee!
ReplyDeleteNice furniture style, too. Make sure and post some pics of what you land on.
I didn't even notice the yarn grinder. Had to go back and find it.
DeleteI have been doing these at very late hours of the night, so didn't feel like adding clever comments about what you were supposed to notice, but I am glad you saw the details.
ReplyDeleteWhen we get some furniture, I will show you. We have two chairs picked out awaiting upholstery, when we find some. We got a table and chairs set, but needs to be put together, so ... soon.
By the way, I understand the the second link doesn't work. Sorry. I had help for the first and though I had the second myself .... ha. I also heard that I wasn't clear about what style we are looking for. NOT Biedermeier. Vögeli is full of it, but we are not looking for that, but for the Louis Philippe, or similar.
Ooh! That yarn shop! And pretty furniture...
ReplyDeleteBeastie Driver, tea and knitting weather...I'm so excited for it!