May, 2022 - Of Art and Wine

The World’s Most Beautiful Bridal Chamber, plus Wines for Weddings.

Well, it’s that time of year when wedding bells ring, and happy couples start a new life together. Back in the early Renaissance the same type of thing happened, but if it concerned a prince, duke, or marquis, as in this case, Marchese Ludovico Gonzaga II, things could definitely take a magnificent turn toward the spectacular. In fact, the famous Camera degli Sposi (often called the Bridal Chamber because it was set in what was Gonzaga’s bedroom at the time) was more a commemoration of the whole family that had sprung from the marriage of Gonzaga and Barbara de Brandenburg.

Camera degli Sposi by Andrea Mantegna, 1465-1474. Hover over image to magnify.

As can be seen above, this “bedroom,” which later became an area where the marchese would hold private audiences, is a painted wonder for several notable reasons.

PORTRAITURE

Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506) was noted for his ability to capture the human image. His painting is so structured that it sometimes seems architectural and rather “dry,” and for his day, he seems to have been something of a rather brutal realist, with the facial features often being criticized as lacking “grace.” Of course, as Leonardo da Vinci would point out, grace and reality don’t often happen together. One example of such is the portrait of Carlo de Medici.

*Cardinal Carlo de Medici* by Andrea Mantegna, 1466. Hover over image to magnify.

Though “His Grace” the cardinal certainly looks like the important man he was, Mantegna has captured also a man whose face has moulded itselt into the hard cynicism that came from the dangerous politics of his time. The face shows the underlying structural detail of the man’s face, his strong square jaw, the prominent bowed nose with the two hard lines descending from the end of the nose to the sides of the downturned mouth, and the hard, icy, blue eyes. The high cheek bones form the base of the hollow of the eyes, that hollow filled in by the puffy skin (bags, as we say) just under the eye. What one has is a rather accurate portrait of the man painted from the inside out, which allows the personality developed from his personal history to be worn on his face. He doesn’t look like someone you would want to have to ask for a favor.

Once again these portraits of the marchese and his wife have been seen as lacking in grace. However, they were quite accurate in terms of what Mantegna saw, so much so that the marchese, Ludovico II, had members of his family stand close by their portraits so that guests could see the verisimilitude in the portraiture.

PERSPECTIVE

The 15th century was full of dynamism in terms of the discovery and rediscovery of various artistic principles. The search for perpsective animated a number of artists, in particular Paolo Uccello and Andrea Mantegna. Mantegna seats the Gonzagas over a real hearth so that when one looks at the figures, one must look up. Taking that perspective into account, the artist painted the figures as though one were actually looking up at them from below, which means that one sees a bit under some of the objects and the hems of the garments.

One aspect of perspective that Mantegna was particularly adept with was foreshortening. For those who may have forgotten their first drawing class, foreshortening is the effect of drawing an object that seems to be lying flat or pointed in your direction. It changes the apperance of the length of the object. Mantegna’s Lamentation of Christ c. 1470 puts a fine point on the wonders of how a well-foreshortened figure looks.

The dead Christ and three mourners.*tempera on canvas.*68 × 81 cm .*1470-1474

Mantegna has fun with the foreshortening in the oculus at the top of the painted trompe l’oeil dome where he has figures looking down on those who are looking up. Notice in the picture below that there are some precariously placed items which might just fall on the spectators who dare stand underneath the dome. One figure seems to be unloosening a planter, and those heavily foreshortened cherubs have various parts of their naked baby bodies positioned to allow both biological elements #1 and #2 to fall upon the spectators. Nothing like an artist with a cheeky sense of humor (see oculus below).

The oculus in the Camera degli Sposi with foreshortened cherubs. Hover over the image to magnify.

TROMPE L’OEIL

The real magic of Andrea Mantegna’s chamber is that all of the vaulting of the ceilings, the oculus opening that allows the sky to reign over the whole room, and the delicate molding that surrounds various cameos of Roman emperors, are all tricks of the eye, yes, trompe l’oeil. Mantegna had studied as a young apprentice with Francesco Squarcione, where he learned the tricks of the trade used to do decorative painting, including what we now call trompe l’oeil. He pulled out all the stops when it came to the Camera degli Sposi to make what was a relatively small room in the ducal palace look indeed palatial. Take a moment to look at all of the arches and the tondos with figures in them. Mantegna’s love for the sculptural and his clever use of perspective take over as he turns this room into a fantasy of sorts.

Mantegna did not leave out other participants in the household. Here we see a fine steed and several dogs, probably used for hunting, being held by their grooms. Behind them is a fanciful landscape. The artist shows the versatility which made him a favorite for quite a long time. Ultimately his work was seen as being a bit too decorative and somewhat passé. The artist however, had a long career in Mantua, arriving there in 1460 and dying there in 1506.

Before leaving the master’s art, let’s do look at the beauty of some of his purely decorative work, as in this bountiful garland. Do use the magnifier.

The Altarpiece of St. Zeno, detail by Andrea Mantegna. Click the image to magnify.

Sources for this article are as follows:

“Art in Tuscany: Andrea Mantegna” travelintuscany.com

“Frescoes in the Camera degli Sposi, Ducal Palace in Mantua (1471-1474)” Web Gallery of Art www.wga.hu

Mantegna by Alberta de Nicolo Salmazo for Citadelles et Mazenod, 2004.

For more on Marjorie Vernelle, see the About Page or the author page at amazon.com/author/marjorievernelle. Go to the Art Blog at vernellestudio.com and for my original art goods see etsy.com/shop/VernelleArtStudio.

Who’s getting married in the morning…

Champagne Fireworks. Photo by Miriam Zilles on Unsplash.

Wines for weddings, now that is a hot topic right about now with well-planned spring and summer outdoor nuptials coming up. So where does one start? Well one of the best things to do is to set up some general guidelines. Decide if you are going to have a professional barman/maid host for you. That person or company can help you with a lot of the decision making about how much and what type of beverages to have. In particular, it is important to know your guests, which means what kinds of taste do they have, how many may be beer drinkers, and how many may want a soft drink (children, grandma, great aunt Betty, for example). To see how a bar with a barman/barmaid works take a look at this video, Wedding Bar – Beer and Wine youtube.com

The Champagne Toast

Normally, it is suggested to separate the champagne quantities from the white, rosé, and red wine choices. As the champagne is used for the special toast, you can count how much you will need by the glass size. Generally a champagne flute will hold 4 ounces of champagne. With approximately 25 ounces in a bottle, you could get about 6 glasses from a bottle. Divide that into 6 into 150 (the normal number of wedding guests) and you’d need to have 15 bottles.

Now, the choice of champagne can include other sparkling wines like cremant, cava, and prosecco, many made with the celebrated French méthode champenoise, though they don’t bear the name champagne due to treaty restrictions. However, since the U.S. is not a part of that treaty, you can use a fine American one which has the word champagne on the label. My suggestion is Gruet. It comes from Santa Fe, New Mexico, runs around $15-$20/bottle, and is divine. Yes, it also comes in pink!

Red, White, and Rosé

White wine to enjoy as something to sip or to go with a light meal. Photo credit to Matthieu Joannon on Unsplash.

Generally it is advised to think of the ratio of white and rosé wines to red wine as a ratio of 2/3 to 1/3. Yes, it is summer, but you will have red wine drinkers and a nice Pinot Noir would work well for them. The wine that seems to be the safest in terms of appealing to a wide variety of tastes is a white wine, Sauvignon Blanc, with really good ones from California and New Zealand; however, Pinot Grigio is also a good possibility. I would even suggest an Off-dry Riesling. The Off-dry version of this wine has just a touch of sugar but is dry rather than sweet. It is acidic so it pairs well with anything savory. That means if your crowd likes light to moderately spicy treats to eat, this could be a great wine to serve with that type of food. You can get a choice of fine ones from Washington State’s Chateau Ste Michelle for under $10.00.

Again, in terms of how many bottles, it is estimated that people will each drink 2.5 to 3 glasses. Now, that is an average, but it means that you can count on about 1/2 bottle per person. For 150 people that is about 75 bottles. Again, remember to know your guests. If you have heavy beer drinkers, you may cut back on the wine. If you are serving very light fare to eat then go heavy on the white and rosé and very light on the red.

Cocktails, anyone?

The White Wine Spritzer thespruceeats.com (see the recipe)

The most trustworthy advice I can give is to limit the cocktails to a choice that can be made with wine. The summer favorite of course is the wine spritzer. The recipe given by Colleen Graham and tested by Sean Johnson for the Spruce Eats has only 92 calories, 9 g carbs, 0 fats, and 1 g of protein. Beyond that there are canned spritzers in a variety of flavors. Your rosé wine could be used in the spritzer cocktails for an added touch of celebratory color for a bit of romantic la vie en rose.

Finally when trying to keep costs down and still have enough wine and good quality wine, there is a new trend in which various small entrepreneurial companies are offering the place, the tools, and the basic products for you to make and bottle your own wine for your wedding. This idea ties nicely into another specialty of the modern wedding industry, making your own labels with some memorable graphic or poetic content written on the label. DIY Wedding Wine on youtube.com has videos on both.

So congratulations to all the grooms and best wishes to all the brides!

Of Art and Wine affiliates with Bluehost.com and CellarsWineClub.com and may earn from qualifying purchases.

©marjorie vernelle 2022

Coming Soon: The Shape of Landscape Painting and the Meaning of Terroir in Winemaking.

Cover of Joseph Yoakum’s wonderful book of landscapes.

We tend to have a well-defined idea about what landscape painting is, but there is more than one way to see what it is that the land looks like. There is also more than one meaning for the French word for land, terroir, and that is especially important when it comes to making wine.

Painting’s Curious Color – Blue, and Wines of Noble Rot

(THE DISCUSSION OF THE COLOR BLUE CONTINUES FROM THE PREVIOUS POST)

Blue, blue, blue, so common it is that we do not think much about it, but if we look at how it appears in our language, it would seem that we think of it a lot. For instance, look at these common phrases: blue moon, sky blue, feeling blue, the blues, midnight blue, blue ribbon, blue blood, deep blue sea, blue jeans. We could go on into terms in other languages, but I am sure you have gotten the point by now: Blue is big!

In color theory, blue is often seen as a color that is non-threatening, as it calls up feelings of calm and serenity. It is a color preferred by men and is used to represent stability and reliability. (Is that why they prefer suits in deep blue?) On the other hand, it is also a color that indicates sadness or aloofness. No wonder that the music form that wails about lost love, betrayal, and heartbreak is called The Blues, and when we complain of a low period in life, it is said that we are “singing the blues.” Blue, however, is a color that seems to spur productivity. On the other hand, it certainly chills one’s appetite, as food served on blue dishes discourages one from eating, probably because dangerous foods like poisonous mushrooms often turn blue as you cut into them, and food also turns blue as it spoils. But enough of spoils, let’s look at a few famous paintings where blue plays a role.

Johannes Vermeer’s *Girl with a Pearl Earring,* 1665. Mauritshuis Museum, The Hague. Hover over image to magnify.

In looking at some famous paintings that feature blue, it is amusing to see how our attention on the details refocuses over the years. For instance, here in Vermeer’s famous, The Girl with a Pearl Earring, that pearl, which is rather hard to see, has become the focal point. However, the original title was probably Girl with a Blue Turban, as it was one of two paintings done “in the Turkish fashion.” Yes, the emphasis was on that brilliant patch of light blue that turned darker as it wrapped around her head. Certainly given the somber tones of the rest of the painting, the blue is an attention grabber. Everything else in the painting, except the red of her lips, is rather neutral, and the background is solid black. That blue surrounds her face and brings the viewer’s attention to it where one becomes engaged by the mystery of her expression. Is she about to speak? Or has she just said something and is waiting breathlessly for a response?

*The* *Blue Boy* by Thomas Gainsborough, 1770. Hover over image to magnify.

There was a time when this was the most famous painting in the world. Supposedly it was a type of demonstration piece to show off the artist’s talents. Gainsborough may have used his nephew as the model, though some say it was the son of a wealthy merchant. However, the youngster is dressed in 17th century clothing to mimic the look of paintings by Sir Anthony van Dyck, a painter whom Gainsborough admired greatly. That means most probably this was a painting designed not as a private portrait commission but as a way of exhibiting the artist’s painterly skills. But why the blue? Well, Gainsborough’s chief rival, Sir Joshua Reynolds, thought that blue, a cool color in the 18th century, should only be used to enhance and bring out the richer tones of warm colors. Gainsborough’s response was all blue for the main figure, with those warmer tones having secondary importance. It became quite the sensation and remains so today. London’s National Gallery is currently showing off The Blue Boy once again in Room 46 until the 15th of May, 2022.

*Starry Night Over the Rhone* by Vincent Van Gogh, 1888. Hover over image to magnify.

When we think of the night sky, most of us consider it black. That may be because we have not looked at it in a creative way. However, we have Vincent Van Gogh to show us the way. Van Gogh painted this night scene under the illumination of a gas lamp, a then new-fangled lighting system. Through the light of the gas lamps, the night took on a different look with a different color, that of a deep blue with aquamarine and turquoise highlights. Here, blue shows itself to be a worthy substitute for black and gray and makes the lights of the city (Arles), and the stars in the sky mirror images of one another. The shimmer of the waters of the river creates a sense of movement, which is seen by that lamplight. Here blue reigns supreme.

Pablo Picasso had a whole period in which his paintings were blue. This “Blue Period” was early in his career and started around 1900. The apocryphal tale was that the artist was so poor he could only afford blue paint, so all the paintings were blue. In actuality the story is much darker than that art history legend.

Picasso had a close friend, a young Spanish poet. His name was Carles Casagemas. The two young men carroused their way through Paris. Casagemas was involved with a woman who called herself Germaine (Laure Gargallo in reality). One night in a drunken bar scene, Casagemas threatened Germaine’s life with a pistol. In fact he fired it at her. She fell under the table (or shall I say dove under). Casagemas, thinking he had just killed her, which he had not, turned the gun on himself and committed suicide. When Picasso heard of the death of his friend, it started his blue period.

The painting above, The Old Guitarist, is almost Picasso as a blue El Greco. Everything is long and exaggerated. The palid blue of the skin and the bowed head over the guitar are an apt symbol of depression. One can almost hear a melancholy tune coming from the guitar as the old man strums out the sadness of his life. The painting is in fact a self-portrait of the soul of the then 20-year- old painter who had not yet sold any painting. The Blue Period was the first major body of work that Picasso turned out and the first development of a distinct voice for that artist, artsy.net. Of course, he went on to move into Casagemas’ vacant apartment and take up being the lover of the infamous Germaine. Even then, Picasso was Picasso.

One of Pablo Picasso’s frenemies was Henri Matisse. Picasso actually bought some of Matisse’s work, but Matisse never bought Picasso’s. Matisse was a rather bourgeois gentleman who liked to live a well-ordered and busy life. He loved vibrant colors and was someone who was quite taken by jazz, in which the perfect moment of sensory experience of the music is called the Blue Note. Matisse even created a series of cut-outs called Jazz. Here the artist uses collage techniques to create a modernist nude, put together in pieces almost like a mosaic. Matisse experimented with color and with simplified forms. He loved seeing how the colors contrasted with one another, but blue became one of his most frequent choices. Whether it was the coolness of the color, or how he felt about jazz, as a music lover, blue became the color of many of his cut-outs.

Ah blue, that mysterious color that does not really occur naturally, that humans did not even see until they made it, that went from hot to cool with the passage of time, and which has a lifespan that fits within the limited history of civilized humanity, may be one of our greatest creations and may only be around as long as we are.

Images used for this article are either in public domain or used in accordance with Fair Use Policy for purposes of discussion or critique and review.

Articles and books used for this post are as follows:

Bleu: Histoire d’une coulour by Michel Pastoureau

“The Color Psychology of Blue” Kendra Cherry and Amy Morin verywellmind.com

“The Emotional Turmoil Behind Picasso’s Blue Period” Alexxa Gotthardt artsy.net

What is noble about rot?

Noble rot on Riesling grapes. Photo credit to Tom Maack on Wikipedia.com

Ugh. Disgusting! Yes, that might be the first response to this picture of Riesling grapes infected with Botrytis cinerea, a fungus that infects grapes that are very ripe. Should this infestation continue, the grape harvest is ruined. This is particularly true when the weather is damp. However, just as clever viticulturists took a hard freeze back in 1794 to turn frozen grapes into ice wine, so too does the right handling of this rot make it the formula for some of the very best sweet wines.

While ice wines came from Germany, it was eastern Europe that produced the first botrisized wines. That got started in the 1500s in Hungary, with Tokaj becoming the area to first begin classifying its botrisized wines in the 18th century. (Here a photo of a bottle of Azsu Six, Photo by Meg Baggott.)

In northeast Hungary and southeast Slovakia, the rivers provide the cool morning mists that support the development of the Botrytis cinerea fungus. However, the trick is to then have warm sunny days, which helps to evaporate the water in the grapes, which the fungus has released by puncturing the skins. That means what is left is sugar. That is the making of a good sweet dessert wine.

Careful grape picking of Semillon grapes in France. winemag.com

Needless to say, the French, who are known for using the decaying processes of nature to gastronomical advantage (just think of roquefort cheese – a blue cheese by the way), were certainly not going to let the Hungarians have all the fun. In a process known in French as pourriture noble (noble rot), the Sémillon grape can be picked sometimes in successive sessions of handpicking (grape-by-grape) called tris, in order to get the very best grapes to make a category of sweet wine called Sauterne, which is a mix of Sémillon, Muscadelle, and Sauvignon Blanc grapes. The area most famous for this mix is Bordeaux.

SO WHAT DOES ALL THIS NOBILITY LEAD TO?

Ricotta cheese and berries cheesecake alwaysravenous.com

Sauternes are fine dessert wines, and one of the desserts to pair it with is a nice slice of cheesecake covered in fresh berries. Sauterne’s mix of honey and nut flavors blends well with cheesecake, ice cream, and fruit tarts. However, there are savory possibilities as well.

Roast duck, a good savory dish to pair with Sauterne. matchingfoodandwine.com

Fiona Beckett, of Matching Food and Wine suggests that all kinds of roasted fowl go well with Sauternes. Above there is a platter of roasted duck; however, a chicken can be basted with Sauterne and roasted to perfection, then served with a bottle of Sauterne. Chinese and Asian dishes are also recommended. Then of course, come the cheeses, of which roquefort is the first to come to mind. However, any number of other dishes work well with sweet wines like Sauterne or the Hungarian Tokaj, including foie gras, shellfish, and glazed pork. It is recommended to serve these dessert wines at 50-54 degrees Fahrenheit, though an aged Sauterne needs to be served a bit warmer.

So in these times of being economical, one must remember how inventive humans can be when faced with conditions that would normally destroy a valued item. If one handles things just right, what looks like a disaster can actually be a completely new item which has its own special value.

Of Art and Wine affiliates with Bluehost.com and CellarsWineClub.com and may earn from qualifying purchases.

Coming Soon: Mantegna and The World’s Most Beautiful Bridal Chamber, plus Wines for Weddings.

Andrea Mantegna’s *Camera* degli Sposi, the Bridal Chamber of the Marquis de Mantua, 1465-1474 Hover over image to magnify.

Heading into wedding season brings to mind the most famous bridal bedroom in the world. Done between 1465 and 1474 by Andrea Mantegna, this chamber was commission for the Ducal Palace in Mantua by the marquis, Ludovico Gonzaga III, in order to compete with other city-states that were commissioning such art. Naturally, with weddings comes the question of what wines to serve, and the answers can be surprising. See you for the next post.