Frederick Catherwood (1799–1854) was an English artist, architect and explorer. Like many who were interested in old ruins Catherwood began with trips to Northern Africa and the Near East, but he became really famous for his impressive detailed drawings of the ruins of the Maya civilization. To my mind Catherwood was the first European artist who focused on the exotic aspect of ruins. They are no classical or gothic, pre modern western architecture. They are strange, alien. It fits, that they were found in the jungle, covered with earth and plants. Here I think is the big influence of Catherwood, reaching till modern day films like "Raiders of the Lost Ark" or "Tomb Raider".

NO sooner had I published the last post but I got a comment back from a friend who asked how on earth I could write about daffodils without mentioning THAT poem. I confess that obviously Wordswor…

Il ne reste rien aujourd'hui de ce merveilleux château: il a été détruit dans la nuit du 13 au 14 août par un incendie volontaire. La toiture, les plafonds, les fenêtres, tout a été dévasté par des flammes aussi hautes que l'édifice lui-même, et ne restent que les murs, fragilisés par le feu... Voir l'article du Courrier Picard: www.courrier-picard.fr/courrier/Actualites/Info-locale/Pi... Je n'ai pas les mots pour exprimer ma tristesse et mon indignation, la bêtise humaine est une des rares choses qu'on ne pourra jamais réussir à mesurer, tant elle est immense, apparemment sans limites. RIP Château Clochard.

Maurice Lalau (1881-1961) is a name I had never seen before this week. He was a prolific French illustrator, perhaps better known in his own country than he is in the United States. I could find very little about him, either online or in print sources. I did find a capsule review of the The Romance of Tristram and Iseult, published October 8th, 1910, in the New York Times, under the heading, Philadelphia Book News, with the following text: PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 7. -- Next Monday has been fixed for the issue by the J. B. Lippincott Co. of a sumptuous edition of "The Romance of Tristram and Iseult," translated from the French of Joseph Bedier by Florence Simmonds. This promises to be one of the most beautiful of the gift books of the season, the distinguishing characteristic of this edition being the thirty-two remarkable colored illustrations by Maurice Lalau. The scary part is that the review states there are 32 illustrations, and the edition found at archive dot org, only has 20 remarkable color illustrations. If there are an additional 12, I dearly want to see them. Click the link to view these amazing illustrations in their original context at archive dot org. The Romance of Tristram and Iseult was published by William Heinemann out of London, and by J. B. Lippincott out of Philadelphia, in 1910. William Heinemann is the same publisher who published much of Arthur Rackham's best known work. It is a wonder more attention has not been paid to this illustrator. When I view the larger body of Lalau's available art and illustrations, I see parallels to the line work and drama of Arthur Rackham, including his droll sense of humor; and the composition and colors of Edmund Dulac. I strongly suspect and propose Maurice Lalau's influence, or perhaps he was influenced by them; and if I were ever to earn an advanced degree in art history, I would explore this potential connection. If anyone has knowledge of Maurice Lalau, please share your information in comments, and add any links. Here are a few bits of information I've come across, here, here, and here, and here. What I love about these illustrations is the rich color, and fully realized world, the room interiors and building exteriors executed in loving detail, including trunks and tapestries, musical instruments, books, looms, clothing, games, utensils, and a child's toys; and the drama of every scene, where every figure is a personality, major or minor, with an integral role; and the balance of indoor and outdoor presentations, and the depictions of sunset, daytime and moonlight. I can only imagine the artist immersed himself in historical description and visual references, and made numerous preliminary sketches. I copied these illustrations at the highest possible resolution, and worked with the brightness and contrast to lighten them just a touch to bring out the detail, while retaining the original color tones and balance. The original scans are exceptionally good. Click on each image for great detail. Maurice Lalau ~ The Romance of Tristram and Iseult ~ 1908 Translated from the French by Florence Simmonds London: William Heinemann, c1910 Frontispiece: Tristram and Iseult Maurice Lalau ~ The Romance of Tristram and Iseult ~ 1908 Translated from the French by Florence Simmonds London: William Heinemann, c1910 The castle rose by the sea-coast, fair and strong, well fortified against all assault and all engines of war. Maurice Lalau ~ The Romance of Tristram and Iseult ~ 1908 Translated from the French by Florence Simmonds London: William Heinemann, c1910 She alone, cunning in the use of philtres, could save Tristram. Maurice Lalau ~ The Romance of Tristram and Iseult ~ 1909 Translated from the French by Florence Simmonds London: William Heinemann, c1910 Tristram spurred his horse against him with such fury... Maurice Lalau ~ The Romance of Tristram and Iseult ~ 1909 Translated from the French by Florence Simmonds London: William Heinemann, c1910 At this moment Bragwaine entered, and saw how they gazed at each other in silence, ravished and amazed. Maurice Lalau ~ The Romance of Tristram and Iseult ~ 1909 Translated from the French by Florence Simmonds London: William Heinemann, c1910 Eighteen days from that time, having convoked all his barons, he took Iseult the Fair to wife. Maurice Lalau ~ The Romance of Tristram and Iseult ~ 1909 Translated from the French by Florence Simmonds London: William Heinemann, c1910 Above in the branches the King was moved to pity, and he smiled gently. Maurice Lalau ~ The Romance of Tristram and Iseult ~ 1909 Translated from the French by Florence Simmonds London: William Heinemann, c1910 Unless the King would send his nephew out of the country, they would retire into their castles and make war upon him. Maurice Lalau ~ The Romance of Tristram and Iseult ~ 1908 Translated from the French by Florence Simmonds London: William Heinemann, c1910 Presently the news spread throughout the city in the darkness. Maurice Lalau ~ The Romance of Tristram and Iseult ~ 1909 Translated from the French by Florence Simmonds London: William Heinemann, c1910 The lovers lived crouching in the hollow of a rock... Maurice Lalau ~ The Romance of Tristram and Iseult ~ 1909 Translated from the French by Florence Simmonds London: William Heinemann, c1910 All night, passing through the beloved woods for the last time, they journeyed in silence. Maurice Lalau ~ The Romance of Tristram and Iseult ~ 1909 Translated from the French by Florence Simmonds London: William Heinemann, c1910 The palace gates were thrown open to all comers; rich and poor might sit down and eat. Maurice Lalau ~ The Romance of Tristram and Iseult ~ 1909 Translated from the French by Florence Simmonds London: William Heinemann, c1910 She stretched out her arms on either side, the palms open. Maurice Lalau ~ The Romance of Tristram and Iseult ~ 1909 Translated from the French by Florence Simmonds London: William Heinemann, c1910 Under the trees he pressed her to his heart without a word. Maurice Lalau ~ The Romance of Tristram and Iseult ~ 1908 Translated from the French by Florence Simmonds London: William Heinemann, c1910 She took the magic bell, rang it for the last time, then threw it into the sea. Maurice Lalau ~ The Romance of Tristram and Iseult ~ 1908 Translated from the French by Florence Simmonds London: William Heinemann, c1910 Then the two on foot, with shattered shields and hauberks unbuckled, defied and assailed each other. Maurice Lalau ~ The Romance of Tristram and Iseult ~ 1909 Translated from the French by Florence Simmonds London: William Heinemann, c1910 The Queen sings sweetly. Maurice Lalau ~ The Romance of Tristram and Iseult ~ 1909 Translated from the French by Florence Simmonds London: William Heinemann, c1910 King Mark and Iseult the Fair were seated at chess. Maurice Lalau ~ The Romance of Tristram and Iseult ~ 1908 Translated from the French by Florence Simmonds London: William Heinemann, c1910 Tristram disguised himself as a beggar. Maurice Lalau ~ The Romance of Tristram and Iseult ~ 1909 Translated from the French by Florence Simmonds London: William Heinemann, c1910 She gave up the ghost and died beside him for grief. Maurice Lalau ~ The Romance of Tristram and Iseult ~ 1910 Translated from the French by Florence Simmonds London: William Heinemann, c1910 Title Page

Love Among the Ruins - Edward Burnes-Jones 1894

The 114,000-tonne Costa Concordia cruise liner, which had been lying on its side off the coast of Giglio since January 2012, has been uprighted in an unprecedented salvage maneuver that engineers hope they will never have to repeat. Rotating the 290-meter-long ship up to vertical, performed by sa...