Eleonora Gonzaga´s Jewerly

Posted on 16 April, 2015 by María López Linares

Tiziano made this Eleonora Gonzaga’s portrait back in 1537. The painting was created with an admirable accuracy and precision and it’s plenty of meaningful details, like the jewelry she is wearing. Of course, among all her jewelry I paid special attention to one of the tiny rings she is wearing in her finger, and that was the chosen piece to take part of our Historical collection. An amethyst and two peridotos were the semi precious stones we chose to decorate it.

But first, let’s know more about Eleonora’s life, which was crucial in the old History.

Eleonora Gonzaga was born in December 31st in 1493. She was the oldest among her brothers and sisters. Her parents were Francisco II Gonzaga and Isabella d’Este. Her mother was the duchess of Mantua and one of the most important women in the Italian Rennaissance. Isabella was a very good patron and a leader in fashion trends. Her trendy style was copied by all women in the whole Italy and also France. She regented Mantua when her husband was out and also while her son was still too young to do it.

She was a perfect model for her daughter Eleonora. In 1509 she was married with Francesco Maria della Rovere, Julio II Pope’s nephew. This marriage made her duchess of Urbino and gave her two sons and three daughters.

Eleonora was not only recognized because of her good work at arts like her mother, but also because she was able to manage Urbino’s government when her husband was exiled. It’s probable that her mother was her model also on this.

Among the main details of the painting is Eleonora’s jewelry, marta’s sking and also the animal head in gold highlighted over her chest, plenty of pearls and rubies that give her style more luxury if possible. Tiziano reminds us all the time about her power and influence. The dog is a intimate detale but also a symbol of happiness. The last detail worth of mention is the clock we can interpretate as the meaning of the fugacity of life.

Eleonora became widow and soon enough she passed away in 1570. But we’ll always have this impressive portrait by Tiziano. The oil over canvas painting (114×102.2 cm) can be visited in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

Images:

Wikipedia

@María Vintage Photography

With “L” for “Lazo” (Bow)

Posted on 14 April, 2015 by María López Linares

Let’s understand “bow” here as a long fabric band that allows us to tie a piece in a decorative and creative way. A bowknot is a knot made with laces to close shoes, but also a ribbon to decorate the a pony tail in girls or several bows forming a rosette.

Bows decorate dresses, hairs, shoes, bags and even gifts. They are the final touch to give anything a romantic air.

And of course, it’s a must in our Vintage Dictionary the bow-shaped brooches.

These pieces were very common and famous in the 20’s, although they’ve been used in jewelry for centuries in order to create brooches, earrings and pendants.

The bow-shaped brooches are perfect for a romantic and old look, both for a smart or a casual outfit.

They use to be made in gold or silver and can be decorated with color, semiprecious or precious stones as well as with pearls of all kind. It’s a sort of decoration very frequent in tiaras, earrings and rings. It’s the best way to show the world the vintage part inside you.

Imáges: María Vintage Photography

The history of the Spanish portraits

Posted on 9 April, 2015 by María López Linares

The exhibition goes across the whole history of the portraits in Spain, from Juan of Flandes to Antonio Lopez and offers an overall about the paintings in the court, from the 15th century to the 21st.

It’s a great itinerary to enjoy the master works in painting, with the best samples in the National Patrimony. The tour, through 12 halls in the ground floor of the Royal Palace in Madrid, is completed with a visit to the castle. It’ll take you no more than a morning to finish the visit and it’s really worth it.

The show is organized in two big sections: The House of Austria and the House of Borbon, and a tour in a chronological order that helps us better understand the history of Spain through its Royal families.
The exhibit opens with the Hapsburg dynasty, with the main portrait of Isabel the Catholic, drom the House of Trastamara. A painting by Juan de Flandes.

It’s also remarkable in this section the portraits of Carlos V (by Jakob Seisenegger) and Felipe II (by Antonio Moro), and also you’ll find here one of the jewels of the show: a tiny miniature of the Conde-Duque de Olivares (by Diego Velazquez).

In the second section dedicated to the House of Borbon from the 18th century up to these days, you’ll find the best samples out of the National Patrimony: Felipe V, Carlos III or the wonderful Goya’s painting with Maria Luisa de Parma as a model. There are also works by Vicente Lopez, Federico de Madrazo or Franz Xaver Witherhalter, among others.

The show ends with two emblematic works by Salvador Dali and Antonio Lopez, both about the Juan Carlos I’s Royal family.

A great selection of work-arts worth visiting if you happen to be in Madrid this days. You only have until the 19th of April!
Here’s the link to the web in case you decide to pay a visit:

Bibliography and images:
National Patrimony

Sarah Bernhardt: The French golden voice

Posted on 7 April, 2015 by María López Linares

Sarah Bernhardt: The French golden voice

Considered as one of the best actress ever, Sarah Bernhardt’s artistic curiosities included plastic arts and Literature. Sara (Paris, 1844 – 1923), known as the queen of the postures and princess of the expression, was the daughter of a Jewish family from Holland and her true name was Henriette-Rosine Bernard. Her beauty and deep dark eyes together with her great bearing made her bright over the stage. Bernhardt studied Interpretation in the prestigious Conservatory of Pais, but before that she had passed most of her childhood in a convent. It was around 1870 when she started achieving a big success.

She was extremely gifted and her expertise was perfectly understand the psicology of the characters. Very soon, she was known as “the golden voice”. The audience admired her because of her spontaneity, her high knowledge and also, her eccentricities… She loved travelling by hot-air balloon and the coffin she always had with her to sleep in sometimes… In her trips she also used to take with her a lot of pets (cats, birds and turtles, among others).

London was her first hit out of France. She had an enormous success also there. One year later, Sarah Bernhardt launched her own Company, she became an entrepreneur and started the first of her many tours in the US. She was an international star soon enough.

Her career was long and she had the chance to play any kind of role, far away from her own character and personality. Some of her hits were Rey Lear (as Cordelia) or La Dame aux Camelias (by Dumas). Rumours say that the last scene in this stage play was so realistic that a few women among the public fainted.

When she was 70, she created Hamlet. One of her many virtues was modernize Shakespeare’s work. Instead of recite, she spoke the “to be or not to be” just whispering, which was an innovation.

After she suffered from the amputation of her right leg after an accident, she started donating funds for soldiers injured during the first world wide war. From that momento onwards, she only could accept roles where she could be sat in a chair.

Life was so good to her that she had even time to write her memories and publish a novel. However, death came to pick her up in 1923 when she was getting ready her new work. Her beauty, her talent and her personality made her be admired by men like Sigmund Freud and Oscar Wilde, and remembered as one of the best actresses in Europe.

Texto @ Esther Ginés
Fotografias Wikipedia y @ María Vintage Photography

Martis, belli et fertilitatem deum

Posted on 29 March, 2015 by María López Linares

I always love to end the month with something special, and this year, my golden brooch is my project “Baroque Still Evens”, a project that takes me back to the great masters of the Baroque painting in whom I find all my inspiration.

March is the month of Martirius, Mars. In March the Spring just arrived and the first sprouts start showing up… The flowers come back from their lethargy and the fields smells different. But March is also the month of wars and fertility.

This month, the basis of my work are the red and golden colors. The red color because it brings war images but also is the color of the birth, the new life. A color that makes me feel special the same way the smell of a narcissus does, the flower of March.

Mars is also the god who protects fields and cattle. That’s why I’m choosing the golden color, a tone that reminds me the wheat, those huge cultivated fields and the smell of bread.

Each photography is unique, and as you can see, it takes a very careful and precise work from the study of the elements to the planning and developing. I don’t want to add any random detail to my work.

This month has been specially difficult to focus on the theme and find what I was looking for, but what took me longer was to find narcissus in Madrid! Finally, I found them in a small garden center in the downtown.

After a whole morning playing with lights and shadows, this “Martis deus belli. Fertilitas” was born. I hope you like it…

Iván Martínez Segovia

Posted on 25 March, 2015 by María López Linares

Ivan started working as a professional photograher 12 years ago. When reading through his résumé, you realize how much experience he has at creating reports and how he’s been able to join his two passions: photography and music.

I met Ivan by chance, thanks to a beautiful volunteer work that Carmen Hache and Rosa Martínez are developing. It’s a charity project that was born in 2013 in order to create conscience and support against the domestic violence. “Butterfly Woman” contributes with the Foundation Ana Bella, where women who suffered domestic violence help others to get over it. “Butterfly Woman is a movement formed by women that fight the adversity and are able to get up after fell down, women that unfold their wings.”

I joined their photo exhibition opening this year, and among all the shots I saw, my eyes were straight to Ivan’s. After I bought it to contribute with the project, I discovered all his work and why he did this photograph.

Ivan had a very serious bycicle accident back in 2014. The injuries were so bad that he had to leave his work for four months. During that time, he reconsidered his whole career and what he wanted to achieve with it. He decided he wanted to develop a more personal side of his photography, so after he fully recovered he did a few more courses to gain confidence and improve the criteria of his work.

His first exhibition after the accident has been Buttefly Woman. Now he regained his illusion and excitement and is planning to do some more shows.

All photos within this article are his and are from his more personal portfolio. His work for Butterfly Woman is already in my living room as an important part of my collection from emergent photographers.

I wish you all the best and hope I can join your next exhibition.

Here are the links to Ivan’s work and the Butterfly Woman project.

Oficial Web: llamaranta.com

Flickr

viewbug

Proyectomujermariposa

Joan Crawford’s jewelry collection

Posted on 24 March, 2015 by María López Linares

Most of the Joan Crawford’s jewelry collection was auctioned right after her death. Although other part had already gone before she left us, Joan Crawford kept her most loved pieces (not the most valuable though). This collection is mostly from the decades 30, 40 and 50 (20th century) when the style was daring and the trend was to wear big pieces with huge ornaments.

Among al her pieces let me highlight the following:

A wonderful set of jewelry formed by a necklace, two twin bracelets, earrings and a ring, all by Raymond C Yard, one of the most acclaimed jeweller in the States in the time.

One of Crawford’s favourite ones: a set in aquamarine and diamonds signed by the French house Boucheron (Verger Freres). Joan bought it in 1935 and since then she wore it in many occasions both, for the screen and her personal life too. After this set was acquired by Andy Warhol (for his “Collecion of Jewelry and Watches”) it finally ended up in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, in the exhibition “Hollywood Glamour Fashion and Jewerly from Silver Screeen”

Alfred Steel, Pepsi’s CEO, was the husband who gave Joan most of the jewelry. One of these pieces was a tiny brooch in gold with rubies and bottle-shaped diamonds that she received as a wedding gift. Years after, this piece was auctioned for $5000. Other spectacular piece she was given was a wrist watch in platinum and diamonds, by Ruser. The design was quite daring for the time decorated with closter-shaped diamonds and a bracelet in similar stones. The jewel had this inscription in it: “To my love, Xmas 1958, Alfred”.

Impressive is also the set of brooches she acquired from the famous jewelry designer Fulco di Verdura. She used to wear them in her lapels to improve her look. Years after she started wearing them close to a diamond necklace she received, since the piece itself wasn’t enough sparkling.

By the end of the 50’s she added an amazing pair of earrings in diamonds to her collection. The design was also a closter in baguette, with diamond cut like markasites, each of them holding a little drop in diamond too.

Joan Crawford was so in love with the sapphires that she was known as “Joan Blue”. One of her favourite pieces was a set of bracelets with three starred sapphires (up to 70 carats each). She also had an engagement ring in the same form and stones and a superb emerald-cut 72 carats sapphire.

Her carisma, feline eyes and her ability to play dramatic roles made her one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. She deserves to be part of our biggest jewelry collectionists.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Legendaryjoancrawford

Jewelsdujour

Susanjanejewels

Mfa.org

Alta-joyeria.blogspot

Collectingfinejewels

With “H” for “Hebilla” (Buckle)

Posted on 17 March, 2015 by María López Linares

Every belt needs a piece to be closed and tight to the wrist. In the antiquity it was very common to see these jewels in silver decorated with semiprecious stones or pearls.

Buckles are formed by a movable part with the shape of a spike to fit the few holes in the fabric or leather part. That way you can enlarge or shrink the belt to your needs.

In jewelry, it’s a piece to embellish and enrich coats and gowns for parties and ceremonies.

Although nowadays it’s more frequent find belts made in cheaper materials, we love the chance we have to use vintage buckles in modern belts. This way, we’ll be beautifying the accessory with an exclusive and probably unique piece.

The Herculan ruins inspire Ruhamah Smith’s wedding dress

Posted on 12 March, 2015 by María López Linares

Ruahmah Smith from Worcester got married with James David Jr in September 1801, in Massachusetts.

In her simple wedding dress can be seen traditional details from the time. The skirt is a little tidied up in the back. The edge of the bodice draws the shoulders backwards and push the breast onwards. Although the piece seems to be light and comfortable, the fact is that it forced an uncomfortable posture. The gown is embellished with a beautiful brunch-shaped embroidery.

By mid 18th century, the Discovery of the Roman ruins in Herculano started a period of interest for classicism.The concern for the perfect beauty, a Greek and Roman old idea, inspired the rejection of the over decorated things. The fashion was then stark geometrical shapes. Actually the dresses were similar to Greek columns. The high waist pushed up the breast. The favourite fabrics were white cotton and linen, because of their simplicity and the similarity to the marble sculptures found in the ancient ruins.

The last years of the century came marked by the French Revolution, which influenced the fashion of the time. The perfectly organized dresses worn by the aristocracy were banished. Instead a fashion style based on classic dresses that let the body be revealed was born.

About Ruhama and James we only know a very few more things: they had two children, James and Rhama. Their descendants prospered and stayed in the area.

Ruhama and James’ granddaughter Ada M Davis was married near Worcester too in 1874.

February: “Neptunus deus Maris” was born.

Posted on 26 February, 2015 by María López Linares

You all know that I love ending the month with something very special. Along this year, the monthly golden brooch will be my project “12 Baroque Still Even captions in 12 months”.

In my previous post about this project I told you how my inspiration came from the sort of painting called “vanity”, where luxurious scens of fruits and flowers get mixed with books, jars, coins, jewelry, paintings or musican and scientific instruments. All of them are objects that will be accompanied by pieces with symbolic meanings.

Each photography is unique and has been developed with a complicated and precise process.

February is the month of the water, the purification of the souls and the month of Neptune (Roman god). It’s also the month of the amethysts.

After many evenings studying about the meanings of those objects, looking them up in art books and the Internet, and of course, after having some inspiring ideas I wrote down in that small notebook MapyDh gave me one year ago, the photograph “Neptunus deus Maris” was born.

I hope you like it…

Vintage by López Linares

Pure vintage Blog

Tag Archives: vintage

Eleonora Gonzaga´s Jewerly

With “L” for “Lazo” (Bow)

The history of the Spanish portraits

Sarah Bernhardt: The French golden voice

Martis, belli et fertilitatem deum

Iván Martínez Segovia

Joan Crawford’s jewelry collection

With “H” for “Hebilla” (Buckle)

The Herculan ruins inspire Ruhamah Smith’s wedding dress

February: “Neptunus deus Maris” was born.