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| Sopraporte ornament in the lobby of the Teatro Olimpico, Vicenza |
I was meeting with a new client this week who found me through this blog, which, she pointed out, has been languishing. Indeed it has, and I am sorry that business elsewhere has prevented me from writing as often as I'd like. I promised to go home and post something, and so I went straight into my most radioactive file for inspiration.
One of the great highlights of my life as a traveling ornamentalist was a visit to the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza. Someday when I am in better control of my emotional reaction to this incredible place I will post my photos of the theater itself.
For now I want to point out some detail from one of the two lobbies of the Teatro, the Antiodèo, which is decorated with Renaissance trompe l'oeil frescoes of classical architecture.
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| Antiodèo, Teatro Olimpico, VIcenza |
Built into an oddly shaped medieval fortress, the Teatro Olimpico
manages to present some classical proportions through the genius of the
design by Palladio and Scamozzi. The frescoes by Giovanni Antonio Fasolo create the illusion of symmetry in an otherwise awkward interior space.
The Antiodèo also houses a seriously dangerous architectural bookshop.
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| detail, trompe l'oeil casing, bracket, and cornice |
As a decorative artist I will often stare at details admiring how they were painted. Look closely at the 'casing' of this doorway. So simply painted, so effective.
Hoc opus, hic labor est
All images in this post by Lynne Rutter, Vicenza 2009
