[madameshawshank]

http://www.artandarchitecture.org.uk/images/conway/447897dc.html

while recently at the South Australian Art Gallery I came across an exquisite piece by Sir William Reynolds-Stephens ~ a bas-relief on a stand (he won a gold medal at Vienna in 1900) 'youth, happy in beauty, life, love and everything" ~ no photography at the gallery alas alas alas ~ so my memory is to do the work of memory..

while browsing I came across the steeple ~ the dove!! the olive branch!! a peace steeple methinks...

any architecture thoughts?

as I bring the Sydney Opera House to mind...I feel as though I float whenever I think of it...so heavy yet visually with wings...methinks..
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"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

[Griffin]

Madame,

A lovely image that steeple with the naturalistic dove. But the link below it I would dispute. Britain never went in for Art Nouveau, we had the similar Arts & Crafts movement which was only partly inspired by Art Nouveau. It was partly led by figures in Britain such as John Ruskin and William Morris.

You might be able to find more images by Reynolds-Stephens at artcyclopedia.com which has a search engine for art. If the museum doesn't allow photography (usually because of the copyright issue) you can ask the curator about getting an image. Probably the Curator of Fine Art as it's a bas-relief sculpture.

I personally love Art Nouveau architecture, but Gaudi is definitely my favourite. No architect since has had quite that much imagination - in my humble opinion! The main architects to look for in Art Nouveau are Victor Horta, whose house in the style is a museum in Brussels - and the mighty Hector Guimard who designed the fabulous Metro entrances in Paris that have become one of the icons of the city.

For some fabulous pix of Paris and French architecture, have a look at arnaudfrichphoto.com where there are some lovely photos. A French friend in Rome sent me the link and I was there for a while, falling in love with Paris all over again... sigh!
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Confusion comes fitted as standard.

[madameshawshank]

Griffin ~ thanks for the advice..will see how I go...at least I can be full of hope

Last year I spent a 'oh my gosh how beautiful is this!' time at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney:

http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/exhibitions/morris&co.asp

a tapestry in particular...massive...life in thread...

Salvador Dali on Art Nouveau: “The terrifying and edible beauty of Art Nouveau architecture.”

yep..I've seen buildings/parts of buildings that I could happily feast on...constructions have a certain flavour all their own...am thinking of the buildings in our street...those I would feast on...those I would perhaps nibble on...and those ..well, only as a last resort as it were...

now there's a game ~ sort of word association only different...what food do you think of when you see the image of .....well let's say the Sydney Opera House...

and I think of a swan...and of the time when swans were often on the menu in times past...

"A Taste of History: 10 000 Years of Food in Britain", edited by Maggie Black, published by English Heritage,1993.

Dressed Swan
The bird was presented upright on its nest, the head held erect by a rod or skewer thrust through the mouth, down the throat into the breast. The swan was presented garlanded and crowned, on a silver or gold stand, with its wings erect, neck arched backwards, head erect. The instructions are as follows:

"Kutte a Swan in the rove of the mouthe toward the brayne enlonge, and lete him blede, and kepe the blode for chawdewyn; or elles knytte a knot on his nek, And so late his nekke breke; then skald him. Drawe him and rost him even as thou doest goce in all pyntes, and serue him forth with chawd-wyne."

Chawdron was a special sauce for swans. It was made of the bird's own guts, cut small and boiled in broth with its blood and vinegar and strong spices. It looked blackish and was served hot.

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over to you!

building = food association
_________________
"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

[gingerpale]

Oh Madame Shawshank your requests can be so demanding! I have haikued my heart out, and now I must change bricks into breakfast. (Will someone please get Madame off the ceiling?) My earthbound pedestrian flat-footed imagination goes about the streets and sees edibles in the edifices--but sadly only those clearly marked "Cafe" or "Bakery".. (insert winky face here)

That awful swan recipe like a traffic accident I couldn't look away!

It HAS occured to me that those big white ocean liners were fashioned after wedding cakes !