grisaille

Friday, January 13, 2012

Oh Friday the 13th! I hope no one is too superstitious but just in case, you will not see me crossing any cats or walking under ladders today.

On another note, I've been dreaming of grisaille (which is better than dreaming in grisaille? bad joke) and have been hoarding examples of it at work. Related to brunaille and verdaille, brown and green respectively, these monochromatic paintings in greys convey just as much emotion as a black and white photo. Sure, lots of others have discussed it, but I think inspiration can come from a little art history.

Image via the Met, Odalisque in Grisaille, ca. 1824–34, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

Image via Dr. Decker Kunsthandel, Albrecht Dürer, Nuremberg, ca. 1510/15

Image via Juliette Aristides, Captive by J Langstaff

Reproduction wallapper via Trouvais/Holly Alderman

And it certainly has a place in decor.

Source: google.com via Ann on Pinterest



Images by Decorative Imaging in the 2006 Kips Bay Show House, House Beautiful via Pure Style Home, Downeast Dilettante, Willow Decor and of course Architect Design. Also by Mrs. Howard Personal Shopper via SW Design

And everyone loves a de Gournay

Images via the de Gournay website



Images via cote de texas from the de Gournay website

But I've been eyeing the grisaille at Zuber.
Image via Sybaritic

My favorite being “Les Courses de Chevaux”

Image via Christies, SW Design and What Is James Wearing

Now, time to throw a little salt over the shoulder...
ArchitectDesign™ said...

Great examples of Grisailles! So glad you could include my image as well :-) I'm off to a job site where I will be avoiding all ladders -thanks for the reminder!

Carrie @ Hazardous Design said...

Ah! I had no idea what that type of artwork was called until I read your post. I learned something already today :)

Ann said...

@ Stefan - I met a black cat on Friday but managed to survive :)

@ Carrie - I'm continually amazed by how much I don't know about architecture, interiors and art history. I guess that's okay considering the centuries of civilization that I still need to catch up on! I'm glad I could share something I've read about with you!

Holly Alderman said...

Great post. Excellent picture research. Thanks for including my grisaille. Many new editions. All the best.