Tag Archives: 1875

Design and Innovation

Eye On Design: Gothic Book Stand By Kimbel and Cabus

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gothic book stand photo by gail worley
Photos By Gail

Portable, revolving book stands, like this one made of ebonized cherry and paper, (1875) allowed owners to have books, perhaps even the latest home decorating manuals, easily accessible in the parlor or drawing room. The paper panels that enrich these stands —  with pointed quatrefoils on one and a variety of medieval-style musicians on the other — are based on ceramic tiles designed by the prominent British firm Minton and Company.

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Design and Innovation

Eye On Design: Gothic Sofa By Kimbel and Cabus

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gothic sofa by kimbel and cabus photo by gail worley
All Photos By Gail

This visually arresting, deep-teal hued Gothic sofa by Kimbel and Cabus (circa 1875) presents a paradox. The angled arms and legs meet to suggest adjustability or flexibility, but the strong mortise-and-tenon joints that secure the legs and rails render motion impossible.

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Arts and Culture

Modern Art Monday Presents: The Birth of Venus By Alexandre Cabanel

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Birth Of Venus
Photo By Gail

The first version of Alexandre Cabanel’s  The Birth of Venus created a sensation at the Salon of 1863, which was dubbed the “Salon of Venuses” owing to the number of alluring nudes on view. Embodying the ideals of academic art, the careful modeling, silky brushwork, and mythological subject of Cabanel’s canvas proved a winning combination: the Salon picture was purchased by no leas that Napoleon III for his personal collection. In 1875 , Jon Wolfe commissioned the present, slightly smaller, replica from Cabanel.

Photographed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC