Bringing Nature Home

Most of us just can't get enough of flowers, books on flowers, and photographs, drawings, and paintings of flowers. Oh, and maybe even floral fabrics and floral china too. If this describes you, then you should consider picking up a copy of Bringing Nature Home: Floral Arrangements Inspired by Nature, photographer Ngoc Minh Ngo's new book dedicated to the beauty of flowers.

Ngo, whose photographs often grace magazines like House Beautiful and Architectural Digest, has a background in landscape design, something that probably explains her affection for flowers. Having partnered with Nicolette Owen, co-founder of the Little Flower School in Brooklyn, Ngo has authored a book that is a compilation of beautiful photographs of floral arrangements in situ as well as of flowers in their natural habitats. The book is divided into the four seasons, so all kinds of flowers make appearances in the book: carnations; peonies; dahlias; fritillaries. But what's really striking about this book is that it's mostly full-page photos, something that allows the reader to really soak in the details of each image. The photos are so captivating that I had a difficult time choosing a few images to feature here!























All images from Bringing Nature Home: Floral Arrangements Inspired by Nature by Ngoc Minh Ngo; Rizzoli publishers; 2012. Images used with express permission of the publisher.

Magnificent Baths by Massimo Listri

Review copies of upcoming Spring book releases are starting to arrive, and one that has caught my attention is Magnificent Baths: Private Indulgences from Baroque to Minimalist by Massimo Listri. (Rizzoli, 2012.) I've long been a fan of Listri's gorgeous interior photography, so it was a nice treat for me to see a book devoted solely to his photographs of baths. These aren't ordinary bathrooms, mind you, but ones that are, as the title says, magnificent. The kind of baths about which many of us can only dream.

While the book is comprised of a mix of traditional and contemporary baths, it's the old and old-looking baths that appeal to me most. Hyper contemporary bathrooms don't do a thing for me, but if you like them, you'll find those as well in this book. The book's text is minimal, but that doesn't detract from the book as it's really about the photos, and beautiful ones at that.

Take a look below at some of the baths that caught my eye. If you're a fan of Listri or if you simply love to look at photos of stunning baths, then you should consider adding this book to your library.




Photographer Massimo Listri's bath in Florence, Italy.




Sammezzano Castle, Regello, Italy.




Caserta Palace, Naples, Italy.





Château du Champ-de-Bataille, Normandy, France.




Castello di Scerpena, Manciano, Italy.




Royal Suite Bath at Florence's Four Seasons Hotel, designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon.




A bath in the London home of designer Anouska Hempel.




Casa Parodi-Amirfeiz, Genoa.


All photos from Magnificent Baths: Private Indulgences from Baroque to Minimalist by Massimo Listri; Massimo Listri, photographer; Rizzoli publishers, 2012. Photos used with express permission from the publisher.

Klaus Enrique, The Arcimboldo Series

I was recently informed of a very interesting looking photography exhibit, Klaus Enrique, The Arcimboldo Series. To be held at New York's Robert Burge/ 20th Century Photographs, Ltd. from February 21 to April 13, the show will feature the photographic work of Klaus Enrique Gerdes. As mentioned in the title of the show, Klaus Enrique's photographs of his vividly detailed vegetable and floral compositions were inspired by the work of Italian painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo. Just look at Klaus Enrique's Autumn above. Isn't the detail amazing?

According to Robert Burge, Klaus Enrique endured a few hardships while creating his vegetal creations including dealing with swarms of fruit flies as well as petals rotting under hot lights. Ah, the life of an artist. For more information on the show, please visit Robert Burge's website. And if you happen to be in Manhattan, I urge you to see the show for yourself.




Flora, 2011




Vegetable Gardener, 2011




Winter, 2011




Vertumnus, 2010





Primavera, 2010


All images courtesy of Robert Burge/ 20th Century Photographs, Ltd.

Condé Nast Prints

I was recently offered a free print from the Condé Nast Store and Art.com. As many of you know, the Condé Nast Store sells prints of photographs and illustrations that have appeared in their various publications including Vogue, The New Yorker, and House & Garden. I thought no more of the offer until I wrote my blog post a few weeks back on vintage illustrated advertisements, something that prompted me to visit the Condé Nast site. After taking a look at the store's website, I decided to take them up on their offer out of curiosity.

Trying to choose my print was difficult. The site offers thousands of prints featuring the work of Christian Bérard, Cecil Beaton, René Bouché, Horst, and others. Did I want an illustration from the 1930s? A Vogue cover from the 1950s? A 1960s table setting photo from House & Garden? I finally settled on a print of a Christian Bérard illustration that appeared in the October 1935 issue of Vogue. (That's it, above.)

I was a little skeptical about what the quality of the print might be. I'm usually not so keen on reproductions nor prints that are offered online. However, I have to say that when I received it, I was very pleasantly surprised. It appears to be good quality, and while it doesn't have the old patina that an original illustration from this era would possess, it's still a charming print. My only complaint is that beneath the illustration is a caption with the Condé Nast copyright. Just something to keep in mind should you order your print framed.

While you're probably not going to display these prints in places where important art should be hung, they would look terrific in powder rooms, bathrooms, dressing rooms, and offices. The gorgeous photos of food that appeared in Gourmet magazine might look great if hung on the backsplash in your kitchen. Just be forewarned: it's very easy to spend hours browsing through the Condé Nast Store website.



A Cecil Beaton illustration from the March 1933 issue of Vogue.




A Horst photograph from the September 1965 issue of Vogue.



A Sal Traina photo of Truman Capote and Gloria Vanderbilt from W, May 1972.



A House & Garden photo by Herbert Matter that appeared in the January 1950 issue.



A Romulo Yanes photo from Gourmet, January 2001.


All photos the copyright of Condé Nast and Art.com

Norman Parkinson: A Very British Glamour

Need testament to the glamour of the good old days? Then by all means, pick up a copy of Norman Parkinson: A Very British Glamour by Louise Baring. Parkinson, one of 20th century's most innovative photographers, captured the sophistication that was fashion during the 1930s through the 1980s. What was unique about his work was that Parkinson was one of the first photographers to shoot models outside of the studio, often posing them on the street or in some incongruous setting. (Look at the cover, above, which features a model in a butcher shop.) Much of Parkinson's work was featured in Vogue (both British and American) and Harper's Bazaar, magazines at which Parkinson worked with the likes of Alexander Lieberman and Diana Vreeland. In fact, it was Parkinson to whom Vreeland remarked "How clever of you, Mr. Parkinson, also to know that pink is the navy blue of India."- this in response to Parkinson's photo of a model posing in a pink coat in Jaipur.

While the text is quite interesting, it's the glorious photographs that make this book a must-have for you glamour pusses and fashion hounds. And if you're a fan of the legendary model Carmen, then you're in luck; there are lots of photographs of her posing for Parkinson through the years.


Celia Hammond photographed for a Wetherall advertisement, Paris, 1962


Carmen Dell'Orefice on a crane in front of Old Bailey, London; Queen magazine cover, September 1960.


"Young Velvets, Young Prices" photographed for Vogue, 1949, from the roof of the Conde Nast Building.

(All images copyrighted Norman Parkinson Ltd., provided courtesy of the Norman Parkinson Archive, London. Norman Parkinson: A Very British Glamour, by Louise Baring, Rizzoli New York, 2009)