Category: New York

Meet your host, Mr. J. Paul Getty

The Humble FabulistLeave a comment

Fortunately, his legendary stinginess did not extend to his art collection. Which is, by all means, extraordinary. 

1/
Cabinet on stand, Paris ca. 1675-80
Attributed to André-Charles Boulle (1642-1732
Probably made for Louis XIV or as a royal gift. 

2/
Planisphere Clock, Paris ca. 1745-49

3/
The host

4/
Wall clock, Chantilly & Paris, ca. 1740

5/
Pair of Vases & Decorative Figures, China, Kangxi reign, 1662-1722

6/
”Turkish Bed”, Paris, ca. 1750-60
This bed would have been placed against the wall, with a canopy above. The body of the bed may be pulled out on wheels, leaving the back attached to the wall. This separation allowed the bed to be made up more easily by servants. 

7/
Secrétaire, Paris ca. 1770-75
Philippe-Claude Montigny (1734-1800)

8/
Candelabra, Paris, ca. 1775

9/
Bed, Paris ca. 1775-80
A grand bed such as this was meant to stand in a deep niche in the most important bedroom of a private residence, where visitors were frequently received. 

10, 11/
Paneled Room (salon de compagnie). Painted doors (detail)
Jean-Pierre Ledoux (French, active 1753 – 1761)

The painted doors and panels and the gilt plaster relief sculptures in the overdoors in this room come from the main reception room of a house built for Jean-Baptiste Hosten. Hosten, a wealthy planter from Santo Domingo, commissioned the celebrated architect Claude-Nicolas Ledoux to build his Paris residence, the Maison Hosten, starting around 1790. 

12/
Ideal Female Heads, 1769-70
Augustin Pajou (1730-1809)

The Getty Center

July 18th, 2017

Fall Snow || New York City

The Humble Fabulist2 Comments

A quick jump to the present, because yesterday we had our first Fall Snow. It snowed for most of the afternoon well into early evening, when the snow turned into sleet. But a few hours of powder were enough to bring the City on the brink of chaos. Why? Because not a single grain of salt was to be seen anywhere on the streets. Result? Multiple crashes, road closures, Washington Bridge shut down, train delays, sirens, emergency vehicles blocked, congestion, people slaloming on slippery pavements trying to keep upright. And the snow wasn’t even unexpected – the weather forecast had been accurate for once!

Celebrity moving – not going anywhere

The fastest way to reach home is on foot

Or by bike (both cases involving senior level of acrobatic skills)

Fall snow in New York City.

November 15th, 2018

Dr. Phibes Rises Again

The Humble FabulistLeave a comment

Following his murderous quest for vengeance against the doctors he believes responsible for the death of his beloved wife, Victoria, the fiendish Dr. Phibes enters the crypt where he has enshrined her, ”incredibly maintained neither alive nor completely dead”. And there he places himself in suspended life, like her, until it will be time to rise again. And there he lays in darkness, next to her body, in a splendid satin sarcophagus, until the moon, aligning with the eternal planets, shines upon the sarcophagus – once every 2.000 years – signalling the opening of the crypt. And then, the fiendish Dr. Phibes rises again from his deep sleep and, together with his trusted aid, Vulnavia, prepares to take Victoria to Egypt where, years ago, in a mountain overlooking the Valley of the Pharaohs, he prepared a wondrous shrine, ”unknown by any living man”. There, under a secret temple, the River of Life flows, promising resurrection for Victoria and eternal life for them both.

Three years have passed, and now it is time for their greatest adventure. But, to his utter horror, Dr. Phibes finds his house has been destroyed and his papyrus scrolls stolen, the very scrolls that would lead him back to the secret temple in Egypt.

#current_mood
#three_days_to_Halloween
#now_watching
#dr_phibes_rises_again

Stills from imdb and filmgrab archives

Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972)

October 27th, 2018

September 11, 2001

The Humble Fabulist2 Comments

It was Tuesday then, too. This waterfront park in the Rockaways serves as a tribute to those in the neighborhood who died because of the attacks of September 11. The park is scenic and quiet, a lovely spot for visitors and community members to stop and reflect, and to find peace.

Tribute Park was an empty lot on September 11, 2001. The Twin Towers were visible from the spot, and hundreds of local residents stood here and watched the tragedy unfold. With help from the community, this serene park was built to commemorate the day. It includes a mosaic centerpiece, a cupola, and a granite rock engraved with the names of all 343 firefighters who died on September 11.

From a walk on June 11th, 2017

Love you too, Son…!

The Humble Fabulist2 Comments

This poster on the window of a barber shop in Port Authority Subway, kept poking me; something about his sideways glance, unintentionally funny face and the ”Love, Mother” logo made me smile, every time.

Both the barber shop and the poster are gone now, but not without a trace: a brief search returned an interesting post on ”Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York” website as well as what ”this sideways glance” was all about.

July 2nd, 2017