Thursday, December 31, 2015

La Nazione

During the late summer 2015 Rachel and I lived for a month just behind Santa Maria Del Fiore in Florence. Our corner apartment bordered two streets and the pedestrian piazza surrounding the huge cathedral. Thus, the busy street scene with its visually rich images continually passed below our windows. Directly beneath one side of our temporary home was a news kiosk. It became a familiar backdrop for many of these photos of tourists, and of the locals, ultimately providing the title for this photo series. La Nazione is a very old and influential regional newspaper based in Florence. Many kiosks around the city share the same banner.

First - a look at our neighborhood.



Giotto's Campanile, Florence, Italy  2015


The Duomo From our Window - Florence  2015
Here is a sampling of the photos in the series with an introductory view of the La Nazione kiosk.


La Nazione - Florence, Italy  2015


La Nazione - Florence 2015


La Nazione - Florence 2015


La Nazione - Florence 2015


La Nazione - Florence 2015


La Nazione - Florence 2015


La Nazione - Florence 2015


La Nazione - Florence 2015
La Nazione - Florence 2015


La Nazione - Florence 2015


La Nazione - Florence 2015




La Nazione - Florence 2015


La Nazione - Florence 2015


La Nazione - Florence 2015

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Some Hodge – Some Podge


This post is made up of a few oddments that don’t neatly fit any other postings – and are only loosely related to each other. In the future I will probably use it as a catch-all for photos that interest me.


The first few images are somewhat related because the subjects were found in museums and galleries, mostly in Paris. Yes – there is the art, and, there are those that love the art. The Henri Cartier-Bresson Exhibit at the Pompidou Centre in Paris was perfect for its mix.

The Decisive Moment at the Pompidou Centre Bresson Exhibit – Paris 2014

Henri Cartier-Bresson Exhibit at the Pompidou Centre – Paris 2014

Henri Cartier-Bresson Exhibit at the Pompidou Centre – Paris 2014 

The Ramp at Musee du Quai Branly – Paris 2014 – Rivers of the World

In Edinburgh there is a fine Francis Bacon currently being shown. It is considered fairly unusual because, unlike most of his paintings, there is no figure represented. But the painting is not that unusual. He often painted human’s passing presence in our spaces, capturing the fleeting influence on a more permanent material reality. And in that way, the overcoat is actually a more solid (and more fixed in time) image of man than many of his other painted images. But,I could be totally wrong. I think though, that Francis Bacon would get a big kick about people discussing motives for his choice of images. I apologize for the poor quality of the photo. Bacon typically specified that his paintings, even his very large ones, were to be hung behind glass. Consequently, reflections and surface imperfections were expected to be part of the common viewing experience. He wanted it that way. Who am I to complain?

The Francis Bacon at the Scottish Museum of Modern Art
This next image was also taken at the Scottish Museum of Modern Art.

Scottish National Museum of Modern Art – Edinburgh 2015
Now, a return to Paris for this typical view, seen by most everyone who has ever gone into Ste Chapelle during the height of the tourist season.

Ste Chapelle - Paris 2014
Back to the present in Buxton, England.

Solomon's Temple - Buxton England - August 2015
For anyone desiring to see what Rachel has to say about our travels, please see her blog posts at:








Monday, April 13, 2015

Galerie Montmartre


Every tourist in Paris, and, I am sure, most Parisians, end up in Place du Tertre near Sacre Coeur at some point. The square is packed with galleries, street artists, and sometimes maybe just a little too much humanity. But you can occasionally find some relief from the jostling tourists by stepping into one of the adjacent galleries. I suggest the Galerie Montmartre. Peering into the window you will see a quiet space populated by great art—Picasso, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, and Marc Chagall. I did this last June.

A Miro, visible from the window, drew me in. Gallerie Montmartre is a peaceful environment, and you will be surrounded by beautiful things. The gallery specializes in Picasso and Dali, and there are both sculptures and prints for sale. As I was viewing that Joan Miro, I noticed a stack of framed pieces leaning against an adjacent wall. I could have tripped over them. I began flipping through the pile to see if there was a Chagall lithograph hiding in there. There may have been, but I got side-tracked by what I found in the pile. There was a very beautifully framed Francis Bacon triptych, in gorgeous condition, numbered and signed. The triptych was priced way out of my range, but that didn’t stop me from drooling over it. I had been working on my “Chasing Bacon” photo series for a couple of years before I wandered into the gallery, and this discovery was an unexpected treasure.

Gallery Art Advisor Noemie Snieg, saw my interest and invited me back at a quieter time to discuss Bacon’s work. When I returned, I found that the triptych had been hung. Our visit was too short, but the conversation was exceptional. While I was there, I saw that other visitors were also being treated as special guests by the staff at Gallerie Montmartre.

If you stop in, don’t be shy about starting a discussion with Noemie or any of the other staff. They are friendly and helpful. If you are a tourist, this will be a highlight of your trip you will not forget. There is no pressure to buy. The gallery is run by professionals that love the artists they represent.



As a side-note: I checked their quote for the Bacon online after I left. It was very fairly priced. And it was exquisitely presented. (As you can see in the photo)

Noemie Snieg with the Bacon Triptych at Gallerie Montmartre.

http://www.galerie-montmartre.com/