The Medici Palace’s Procession of the Magi and Sparkling Shiraz.

The Middle King in the Procession of the Magi by Benozzo Gozzoli, 1459-1460 in the Medici Chapel in Florence, Italy.

Odd that there is always so much controversy over the identities of the three kings in the Procession of the Magi. The fellow above is often referred to as Melchior, though in Italy he is known as Baldassare (Balthazar). What is generally accepted is that this figure is probably a portrait of Emperor John VIII Palaiologos of the Byzantine Empire. And how did he wind up in a painting in Florence, Italy? Well, it’s complicated, all having to do with Medici influence, the Emperor’s need for help from the Western Church, and the power of art.

Here is the leader of the House of Medici, Cosimo, the Elder, who after having been first imprisoned, bribed his way to freedom and took off to Venice in 1433 for a year of exile. However, he was called back to Florence where he went about reestablishing his power. It just so happened that a great council was called around 1438 to form an alliance between the two parts of the Christian Church. The original site for this council was to be Ferrara, but it and the main port, Venice (La Serenissima), were stricken with plague. Cosimo stepped in and offered up his city for this great meeting of East and West, so all these oriental potentates wound up in Florence.

The Florentines had never seen anything like it, especially the extreme luxury of the clothing and jewels. The Emperor of the East ruled by divine right, with none of this being elected like the Pope, or being a lowly merchant prince like the Medici. He only needed their money to stave off the Muslim Turks, who yes, did finally sack his city, Constantinople (now Istanbul), in 1453. However, back in the late 1430s, Florence was treated to the spectacle of the royalty of the Orient, which made a lasting and useful impression.

The merchant princes of the Middle Ages and Early Renaissance had to tread carefully as there were Usury and Sumptuary Laws. For instance, the early banks set themselves up in the market places, often little more than a table or board (banco) with a green cloth spread over it. They could not pay interest on the money deposited with them but instead gave monetary “gifts” at the end of the year. A gift certainly could not be usury, could it? Likewise, great displays of elegant clothing, jewels, furs, etc. were reined in by laws limiting such sumptuous displays. And yet, all of this existed in a Florence, where great wealth showed itself in rather magical ways, especially involving the arts.

So what do you do when the Archbishop (Antonino, in this case) declares that sacred pictures should not feature exotic items, wild animals like monkeys and leopards, and other frivolities? Well, you choose a theme that allows you to do that as part of telling the holy story. You have one of your favorite painters do a mural of the magi, following a great star, and bringing with them all the rich and exotic treasures of the Orient, which the whole of Florence knew to exist since they had seen them some years before when John VIII came to town. The Medici family and other notables (the Pope, local nobility from Milan and Rimini, etc) were painted as fellow travelers, trailing along on this long voyage, depicted in splendid colors on the eastern, southern, and western walls of a chapel-like room, and ending at an altar on the northern wall, where a painting by Fra Filippo Lippi showed the Virgin adoring her newborn infant. (For more on that painting see the vernellestudio.com/blog of December 1, 2019.) Voila! The Procession of the Magi

The Procession of the Magi by Benozzo Gozzoli in the Medici Chapel.

It was Benozzo Gozzoli (1421-1497), seen here painted into the grand processional, wh0 was tasked with creating this wonder of advertising hubris pretending to be piety. An artist who became one of the periods most prolific fresco painters, doing such feats as 25 murals representing the Old Testament in Pisa, for which they rewarded him with a tomb, Gozzoli made sure that he was well represented in the procession. He painted himself in different areas at least three times, here with Opus Benotti written on his red cap as a way of signing this masterpiece of a mural.

This lovely space is now called the Medici Chapel. However, Cosimo, the Elder, actually did business in that room (no wasted space at the palazzo). Unlike today when there is an entrance and exit to a chapel lit with electric light, in Cosimo’s day, there was one entrance and no natural light, only candlelight. Cosimo was known to put up a table with a green cloth over it and conduct his business deals as in the days when his father, Giovanni de Benci, set up shop in the market. Of course, Cosimo did his prayers at the altar in front of Lippi’s lovely virgin, but being ever practical, he put two important doors there, one on either side of that altar. One was to a safe room where the old man could bolt himself in if an emergency arose. The other was a passage that led to the outside of the stone palazzo’s bank vault like structure. All that said, it must have been truly wonderful to see this procession of riches with its bright colors and glimmers of gold dancing along in the flickering candlelight.

When you visit the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi these days, you are allowed only 20 minutes inside the chapel if with a tour group. However, since each tour member is given a separate ticket, you can use that to re-enter for another splendid few minutes with the zeitgeist of the 15th century. And if you are in the gift shop, you might want to get a copy of Medici Money by British author, Tim Parks, on the fabulous banking boys of 15th century Florence.

Paintings are in Public Domain.

Marjorie Vernelle is an artist, writer, college professor, and traveler. For more see the Pages at ofartandwine.com or her author page at amazon.com and her art at Vernelle Art Boutique vernellestudio.com.

AND NOW FOR ANOTHER GIFT OF THE ORIENT – SHIRAZ WINE.

As confusing as which name belongs to which king is the story of where Shiraz/Syrah wine comes from. The most often told legends go back to the Ancient Greeks and Persians. Shiraz was and is a city in Iran (Ancient Persia) known for making a deep red wine called Shirazi. In one version of the story, the Phocaean Greeks who were great sailors, traders, and settlers brought that wine and its grapes to the island of Sicily where it was cultivated near the city of Syracruse, from whence the grape took on the name Syrah. This ancient travel fits nicely with the idea of wine being transported from Persia by perhaps one of the wise men depicted in that famous procession of magi.

Whatever the story, and I am sure Persians and Greeks still debate the scenario, the Shiraz/Syrah grape from which this dark, rich berry wine is made wound up being cultivated most famously in the Côte du Rhone area in France. I use the combined name as the modern Syrah grape and the Shiraz grape would seem to be the same grape, though DNA studies of the genome have not been completed. Aside from being grown in the Cote du Rhone region in France, they are also grown in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys and in Washington State. This cool climate Shiraz/Syrah can come in both heavier or lighter versions, and berry desserts are marvelous with a glass of dark berry Shiraz.

Regardless of the history of the Shiraz/Syrah grape (more info on that can be found at thewinecellarinsider.com which has yet another tale of the origins of this grape), it produces a wine with a range of tastes from blackberry or blueberry to dark olive and pepper, depending upon whether it is mixed with Cabernet Sauvignon or Grenache grapes.

True it has a high alcohol content, but for the health conscious, it also is very high in antioxidants. The really great thing is that it goes so well with so many of our favorite cold weather, holiday time feasts, like grilled leg of lamb, braised chicken, roast duck or pork served with tangy sauces (but not sweet ones). Turkey or chicken with crispy skin and moist meat combined with cranberry or orange/cranberry relish works marvelously well with Shiraz.

BUT THE JOURNEY ISN’T OVER…

The next stop in this story is Australia. Yes, for those of us who feel oppressed by the holiday insistence on sparkling white wines – Champagne, Prosecco, etc. – the Aussies have come to our rescue as the primary producers of sparkling Shiraz. Go to vinepair.com for a variety of articles on this Australian favorite described in its high end form as “…a broad-shouldered, full-bodied, high alcohol [wine] with tingling, tickling, effervescence and just a whisper of off-dry sweetness.” Sounds good, doesn’t it? Just right for a Merry Christmas!

Since we are on the topic of wine at Christmas, let’s add giving to a worthwhile cause. Please check out the different wine club offerings at cellarswineclub.com Click here or go to the Of Art and Wine Pages – Cellars Wine Club. They have wines from the U.S. and around the world, a club for every taste and budget, a “no bad bottle” return policy, and a program of giving, where the you can select from a number of vetted charities to have Cellars donate 15% of your purchase.

No way to lose with this one.

So on that note, let me wish you all a very happy holiday season. Here’s to good art and good wine. Joy to the world, indeed!

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

©marjorie vernelle 2019

Coming for New Year’s on Of Art and Wine: Maso di Banco, Giorgio di Chirico, and Prosecco.

St. Sylvester and the Dragon or Pope Sylvester’s Miracle by Maso di Banco, 1340.
Piazza d’Italia by Giorgio di Chirico, 1913

Well, it is the New Year, a time when everything old is new again. Maso di Banco used chromatic perspective to show St. Sylvester slaying a dragon on his day, December 31st, and di Chirico used di Banco’s light and shadow technique in 20th century style. Best to view these paintings with a good glass of chilled Prosecco. Felice Anno Nuovo!

Let It Snow: Snow Paintings and Mulled Wine

The Road to Giverny in Winter by Claude Monet, 1885. Click picture to magnify.

Edouard Manet, so famous for his many works that advanced our ideas about painting, tried his hand at painting snow scenes. He gave up, saying that no one could do it like Monet. So what does Monet do that is so special? Snow normally reduces landscapes to a rather stark scale of black, white and gray. In some cases it covers things that might be rather ugly, like old poorly kept houses and dirty streets, with a lovely blanket of white. However, even forests to the casual observer are just dark branches, deep green conifer needles, and relentless white.

Well, Monet was never a casual observer of anything, and we can see in his painting above that he in particular took note of the sky. We have all seen those wintry skies when the light fades around 4:30 in the afternoon and the sun, no longer in plain view, still lights up the undersides of the clouds. That twilight sky is Monet’s special touch in this painting. As travelers on the road in this painting, that colorful sky not only alleviates the dead of winter, but it gives us a touch of the beautiful that we can really appreciate since we also see houses coming into view, which means our cold weather journey is about to end. So we notice those little spots of color, perhaps the last of autumn still coming through the snow on the side of the road. In particular, we can wonder at the way the crystalline ice over the snow shows itself blue while reflecting winter sunset pinks. It is all an enjoyable experience that we can talk about over something hot to drink before dinner when we arrive home, just a little distance down the way.

Monet’s skill and Manet’s dictum aside, snow paintings have been done by many other artists, with a variety of different feelings and effects.

Snow at Louveciennes by Camille Pissarro , 1878. Click picture to magnify.

Here we have a fellow Impressionist, Camille Pissarro, once again putting the viewer in the cold countryside, but not too distant from home. We see the figure leaning forward in the direction of the buildings, clearly indicating his intent to get there and inside. The atmosphere is once again a winter twilight, right at late afternoon. Pissarro infuses the scene with blue, ranging from pale blue to deep blue-violet and touches of lavender, all effective ways of rendering the feeling of cold. The eye-catching beauty belongs to the trees. Their gnarled trunks and branches have caught and held the snow, bringing traces of white up from the foreground into the main picture plain and finally up to that frosty blue sky. Those same trees in their black and dark gray stand out against the blue-gray and blue-violet background, indication of more dense forest in the distance. The tree branches dance, leaning like the man in the foreground away from the direction the wind is blowing. All this forward movement points to the sturdy buildings not too far in the distance. Once again the viewer can enjoy the cold beauty of winter without fear since shelter is not far away.

Of courses, romantic paintings of the snowy countryside are wonderfully appealing; however, it snows in the city, too. Gustave Caillebotte, friend, and patron of the Impressionists and a fine painter himself, gives us a different winter view.

Rooftops in the Snow by Gustave Caillebotte, 1878, Musée d’Orsay, Paris.

Here the viewer is safe and warm inside a building rather high up and one with a city view. Of course the steely gray of the city in winter makes for a feeling of closed in isolation. Yet there are some nice touches of muted red that lead our eye into the picture, from the close in clay chimney pots to a distant façade of a building. However, the thin strip of dead gray sky falls like a heavy curtain, sealing us in with little desire to go out. Caillebotte was a man about town who was always out and about. In fact, he is probably most famous for his painting of finely dressed people strolling the streets of Paris under their umbrellas, but yes, still strolling in the rain (see his Paris Street Rainy Day, 1877). I like to think that in this painting of snow, he was perhaps feeling a bit trapped by the miserable weather and decided to turn it into art.

Snow is still a worthwhile and interesting subject for painters. The piece below is by a talented young Colorado artist who does plein air painting, Jared Brady, see jaredbrady.com/artwork

Winter Light by Jared Brady

Brady captures the vertiginous slant of the mountain with its aspens marching downhill in almost military formation. They seem to push aside the conifers to take center stage as the subject of this painting. The sunlight on the snow moves the eye back up the hillside to a bit of exposed reddish rock (this is Colorado after all), some distant evergreens, and beyond that to the blue sky. That sunlight becomes dappled, as its rays push back into the thickness of the trees. That dance of light is cheerful. The whole scene leaves one with the feeling of having just taken a stroll in the forest after a fresh fall of snow.

One way to really appreciate the elements of a painting such as Winter Light is to see how the artist approaches doing it. Brady does not leave us out of his process, as we can see here in his video, Winter Aspens, showing his plein air techniques: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH_YxPV2hpo

Well, after all of this wandering about in the snow, it is now time to come in from the cold and see what we can do to warm ourselves up.

Paintings are in Public Domain or used with the artist’s permission.

Marjorie Vernelle is an artist, writer, college professor, and traveler. For more see the Pages at ofartandwine.com or her author page at amazon.com and her art at Vernelle Art Boutique vernellestudio.com.

Mulled Wine: Recipes for Wintertime Cheer

Ancient Roman painting of cupids with wine in the House of Vetti, Pompeii.

As with so many things that have come down to us, all roads lead to Rome. It was the Romans who spread this cold weather drink all throughout their vast empire. Yet, it was the Ancient Greeks who tipped the Romans off to the wonders of hot wine with spices. For the Ancient Greeks, it was a matter of what to do with low quality wine. Pouring it out is never a good solution, so as the winter winds began to blow, the idea of warming the wine up with a touch of spices and citrus seemed like a good idea. The fact that it made you feel good obviously meant it was good for you, even medicinal. In fact, they named this concoction after Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine. For more on this story and other aspects of mulled wine in history plus eight recipes to try, see “The Long, Storied History of Mulled Wine” at vinepair.com

Scenes from a Medieval cookbook. commons.wikimedia.org

Having spent a number of years living in Avignon, which had its heyday in the 14th century, I naturally turn to the wisdom of the Middle Ages. When the winter winds come blowing down the Rhone River, I can tell you, a hot wine is a near lifesaver. The comments below attest to the wisdom of those medieval times.

“Spiced wines were usually made by mixing an ordinary (red) wine with an assortment of spices such as ginger, cardamom, pepper, grains of paradise, nutmeg, cloves and sugar. These would be contained in small bags which were either steeped in wine or had liquid poured over them to produce hypocras and claré. By the 14th century, bagged spice mixes could be bought ready-made from spice merchants.”

These comments on spiced or mulled wines, and the recipe come from the Medieval Drinks section of Life in a Medieval Castle castlesandmanorhouses.com It would seem that the idea of mulled wine as a comfort drink in those cold medieval castles spawned an expansion in the spice trade with the introduction of those pre-mixed spice packages. One can only imagine the competition to come up with winning names for each mix, designed to enthrall the women who shopped for the castles.

But let us leave the chilled confines of the Middle Ages. We live in the age of crock pots and slow cooking methods. Yes, you can allow the ingredients to mellow for two hours as suggested in thespruceeats.com article on slow cooker mulled wine. This technique not only creates a richly flavored mulled wine, but also perfumes the house with cheery warm celebratory scents. On the other hand, we live in the age of instant or almost that, so a twenty minute brew comes in handy when last minute guests come for some holiday cheer.

The photo above comes from Gimme some Oven gimmesomeoven.com and comes with detailed instructions on how to make it. Just click the link above. For yummy things to eat with your mulled wine, I once again refer you to The Spruce Eats for the quick, delicious treat called Devils on Horseback (made with dates), or if you are just coming from church, Angels on Horseback (made with apricots) thespruceeats.com.

While one does not need more that a red table wine to create a mulled wine, it is not necessary to give up drinking the good stuff. For that you might consider joining a wine club.  Click on Cellars Wine Club under Of Art and Wine Pages on your left to see the various ways to get into some very good wine from the U.S. and from around the world, including wines in the 90+ category. There is a club for every level of taste and budget and a “no bad bottle” return policy. As well you can indicate which of a number of vetted charities you want Cellars to donate to: cellarswineclub.com

So start the holiday season off with an artistic and creative way to enjoy the snow, like being inside by a cozy fire, looking at snow paintings, and sipping a hot cup of homemade mulled wine. Sounds good to me!

Images of paintings are in public domain, except those from Jared Brady, which are used with the artist’s permission.

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

©marjorie vernelle 2019

Coming soon: The Medici Palace’s Procession of the Magi and Sparkling Shiraz.

The Procession of the Magi by Benozzo Gozzoli, 1459-1460 in the Medici Chapel, Florence, Italy.

This portion of wall is just part of what surrounds one completely in the Medici Chapel. Ostensibly designed to show a religious scene, this creation took the opportunity to show off the importance of wealth in all its exotic forms. The Medici were merchant princes after all. The three kings of the Orient are shown bearing royal gifts for the Christ child in celebration of his birth. Since one of the wise men was Persian, he might just have brought another item from his land, a deep red wine called Shiraz, which we can now have in a sparkling form. What a nice touch for a celebration like Christmas.

Wine Tasting Portraits and Le Beaujolais Nouveau

Tasting the Wine 19th Century British School

Well, there he is a connoisseur of some sort eyeing a lovely little glass of wine. Now I won’t claim that he is tasting the Beaujolais Nouveau, though the wine color is not far off. However, I do think that the cheery expression on his face is in keeping with celebrating this special harvest time wine holiday, now celebrated around the world as a nice little pick-me-up in the dreary days of November. The comedic joy on his face fits perfectly with the satirical art of Britain’s 19th century in which such depictions were used to poke fun of the foibles of the wealthy, of politicians, and other notables. This fellow seems settled in for an evening of enjoyable drink, his comfortable chair and his lap robe sporting the same warm color of the wine. Having decanted a full bottle of wine, he appreciates that color, his mouth already watering in anticipation of the first sip. He seems to be alone, so this may be a sort of guilty pleasure. His focus is so clearly on the wine and his eye so full of glee over the drink he is about to have that surely no one else is present to see him revel in this moment.

Caricatures go back to the 16th and 17th centuries in Britain, when it became popular to create a portrait that exaggerated some significant feature of a person’s face, say a long nose, or an oddly shaped mouth. When combined with a moral message, they became satires. Such images developed as a way to criticize without having to use words. The beginning of the 18th century saw this form of expression growing particularly popular with the work of William Hogarth (1697-1764). By the 19th century it hit its heyday with the creation of Punch Magazine (1820) which specialized in these caricature pieces which it dubbed “cartoons.” All before this, cartoons were designs, painted pictures, used for the making of tapestries. Such famous artists as Francisco Goya got started as a painter of tapestry cartoons. Suddenly after Punch, the word took on a whole new meaning, one close to what we think of today. Print shops had windows filled with the latest satirical cartoons that allowed people to stop, wander from one printed scene to another and gain a laugh or two in the process. George Cruikshank (1792-1878) was another British master of these satirical pieces, and the French were not to be left out as Honoré Daumier (1808-1879) mastered the art and was particularly well seen during the Second Empire of Napoleon III.

FROM THE DIVINE TO THE EARTHY: CARAVAGGIO

Of course, the pleasures of wine have been around for thousands of years. In fact, the Romans first cultivated the Beaujolais region along the Saone River in what was then Gaul. The production of wine spread throughout the provinces of the Roman Empire as it followed the trade routes that supplied the Roman world. Understanding from experience the folly that wine can produce, the Romans put it in the domain of the Roman god Bacchus, a half man, half goat creature who ruled madness, ecstasy, and wine, and had a fondness for playing the flute. Bacchus has been the subject of many sculptures from ancient times right down to Michelangelo. However, the piece that captures the essence best is this painting by Caravaggio from 1596.

The Young Bacchus by Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio, 1596

Here the God, himself, offers the viewer drink. How divine, or is it? We see the perfect youth, with a headdress of grape leaves (how celebratory), his perfect young body, pale against the sheets, which in fact are a rather dingy gray. He temptingly lifts a huge glass of wine out to the viewer in a hand with dirty fingernails. The fruit in front of us is not entirely fresh, and the “god’s” ruddy face and hands indicate that he probably works outside for a living. Some of the contradictions were certainly intentional. The fruit on its way to rot was a typical Baroque image of vanitas, those symbols of earthly delights that were fleeting in nature like human existence itself. The model, probably Mario Minniti, who appears in several Caravaggio pieces from this period, was a beautiful youth from a hardscrabble background, and while the setting that Caravaggio arranged for this scene makes for a beautiful painting, it also creates the rather earthy, grubby quality that appears upon closer inspection. Cardinal Del Monte, Caravaggio’s patron and the man who commissioned this painting was certainly well pleased with the work., and perhaps Caravaggio was amused that his grungy little setting had created such a vision of classical divinity.

THE SORROWS OF WINE

Of course, there are dangers in all of this revelry. Whether the English gentleman indulging in an evening of wine tasting/drinking in privacy, or someone imbibing a huge glass as offered by a latter day Bacchus, there comes a reckoning and that is as old as wine itself. For that, here is a scene from the 14th century, Tacuinum Sanitatis, a medical book showing common ailments and other problems, like what happens when you drink too much.

Man vomiting after too much wine from the Tacuinum Sanitatis, 14th century.

So with the idea of keeping all things in moderation, we can turn to the one day per year when now all the world celebrates wine. It is the third Thursday in November, the day, as originally announced by winemaker, George DuBoeuf, when:

Le Beaujolais Nouveau est Arrivé!

It officially starts at 12:01 a.m. on that third Thursday in November, this year the 21st. Originally, it was not quite so well organized as there were breakneck races among vintners to be the first to get the Beaujolais Nouveau to Paris, as soon as their wine was ready. The whole thing began to be organized in about 1951 when it was decided to name a special day for celebration, then the 15th of November. This did not always work well with harvest times (Nature is funny that way), so a slightly later date was chosen, and slyly it was placed on Thursday. Why? Well, Thursday is just before Friday, and if you take off Friday to “faire le pont” or make the bridge to the weekend, you can have a really good time over a four-day weekend. Tout est permis! (Everything is allowed!)

Celebrants during the arrival of the Beaujolais Nouveau.

Beaujolais is a region north of Lyon and just south of Burgundy in eastern France. The grapes grown there are Gamay grapes, a dark red grape that produces several varieties of Beaujolais. Beaujolais Superieur is made from high quality grapes that are sweet producers of alcohol, 10.5%, which is a half percent higher than the Beaujolais Villages. Those wines are made from grapes grown in the fields of the many villages in the region. It is also of a higher quality than Beaujolais Nouveau, and both Villages and the Superieur can be kept for more than two years. These are the ones to get to go with your Thanksgiving turkey, or perhaps a Beaujolais Villages Blanc, which is a white wine from the same region made with Chardonnay grapes.

The one that is celebrated every year is the Beaujolais Nouveau, and it is a primeur wine, meaning that it must be drunk young. Normally in France it is drunk between the end of November and Christmas. It is a light red wine that has a fruity taste of berries, and is easy to drink as it is light-bodied, low in tannins, and high in acidity. It is best served chilled and consumed right away, as it loses its charm rather quickly with age. It pairs easily with most foods from roast turkey and smoked chicken to salmon to quiche and vegetables like mashed potatoes, as well it is inexpensive, which can add to the enjoyment.

Japanese celebrants in a Beaujolais Nouveau wine bath.

As I said before, tout est permis! I was quite surprised during my first long stay in Paris to go wandering down to the Montorgueil market to do my daily food shopping only to find the street festooned with banners announcing the arrival of the new Beaujolais. The mood was particularly festive, and of course, the French do love a good party. I stopped by a favorite café of mine, Le Café du Centre, where the first lunchtime arrivals were seating themselves in anticipation of the first taste of the new wine. Waiters were all wearing plastic pins made like huge clusters of deep purple grapes as the zipped from one table to another pouring wine furiously. The room was filled with the clinking of glasses, comments and laughter and various expressions indicating that the wine was “pas mal” (not bad – which in the usual, understated, Parisian “we’ve seen it all” attitude, means pretty good!).

So if you live where you can enjoy a Beaujolais Nouveau celebration, by all means attend and profitez bien (take good advantage of it). You’ll be glad you did!

The Beaujolais Nouveau comes to Wall St. from the New York Times.

For your other wine interests, you might think of joining a wine club. Click on Cellars Wine Club under Of Art and Wine Pages on your left to see the various ways to get into some very good wine from the U.S. and from around the world, including wines in the 90+ category. As well you can indicate which of a number of vetted charities you want Cellars to donate to. cellarswineclub.com

Paintings are in public domain.

Marjorie Vernelle is an artist, writer, college professor, and traveler. For more see the Pages at ofartandwine.com or her author page at amazon.com and her art at Vernelle Art Boutique vernellestudio.com.

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

©marjorie vernelle 2019

Coming Soon on Of Art and Wine: Let It Snow! Snow Paintings and Mulled Wine

The Road to Giverny in Winter by Claude Monet, 1885.

Winter is on its way, but that never stopped artists from braving the elements to capture the beauty of the snow. It also means it is time for hot drinks to fight off the chill. So come see some wonderful snow paintings and get a few good recipes for good drinks made with hot wine.

The Hazy Light of Corot and the Light Smoke of Pouilly Fumé.

The Bridge at Mantes by Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, 1968-1870 Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon, Portugal.

It was 1996 in the autumn, and the first time I had spent an extended stay in France. One of the first things I found out about French culture was how the French never forget to venerate their great artists. That year was the 200th anniversary of the birth of Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot (1796-1875), and Corot was everywhere. There were art shows all over the country; his work was prominently displayed at the Louvre; and posters and postcards were part tout. Now I had seen Corot’s work in some survey of art history course in my undergrad years, but nothing about his work had yet really sunk in, even though I do landscape painting myself. The hammer came down on my head when I visited a museum in Reims, where I sat alone, one rainy afternoon, surrounded by some 25-30 Corot landscapes.

Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot was born in Paris in 1796 to a prosperous family. His father was a successful draper and naturally expected his son to follow in his footsteps. That, however, did not happen, as the young Corot’s only success in business was being an errand boy. He managed to take some classes in life drawing from the Academie Suisse, later commenting that knowing how to draw the human figure was the basis for doing good landscape. Finally when he reached his mid-twenties still showing no signs of being adept at his father’s business, his family gave him a small stipend, which freed him to paint. .

From every angle came a beautiful scene, each with his unique mix of the distinct and the indistinct. For example, in the Bridge at Mantes (above), the light colors of the bridge and its structure are quite solid, but they are seen through the feathery quality of the last leaves of autumn clinging to the nearly naked trees. The sky is rather overcast, with a cloud or two barely visible, and the water of the river below is a smooth, placid reflection of the sky with no rapids or ripples. The painting is a perfect reflection of a slight autumn haze, a calm before the storms of winter. I left the museum that day with my head full of those Corots. When I took the train back to Paris in the late afternoon, the rain had gone, and the golden light of a sun low in the sky shone hazily through the autumn leaves of the trees in the countryside. Every scene that passed the windows of the train was a perfect reflection of Corot’s vision; it was overwhelming.

Corot loved being in nature as opposed to the studio, and while he studied with one or two more famous artists, he seemed to only take from them that which fitted the temperament of his own work. His work had a poetic quality to it, an effect of his focus on the soft light of early morning or approaching evening. In 1829 he went to Barbizon, a small town near Fontainebleau, where a group of painters, later to be known as the Barbizon School, painted in the forests and gardens near the famous royal chateau. Corot traveled to France and Italy, sketching, and sometimes even selling the sketches, which was unusual in a time when finished paintings were preferred. His finished works were often met with derision, as he did not fill his paintings with the antique ruins and other historical sites that the market demanded at that time. His works were thought to be too pale, sometimes unfinished in their look, even naive. He struggled with acceptance at the Salon; however, his works were admired by other painters, even though the public had not found him yet. In 1845 Baudelaire quite forcefully called Corot the leader of the modern school of landscape, saying Corot was more of a harmonist that a colorist. That support began to turn the tide for the painter. His works began to sell, and he is now looked upon as one of the forerunners of Impressionism. In fact, one of the great discoveries in 1918 when Edgar Degas’ private collection of paintings was examined was that Degas was a collector of Corot.

Ville d’Avray by Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, 1865.

This lovely piece is a perfect example of what the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. calls Corot’s “landscape poetry…full of diaphanous trees and crepuscular skies.” Here again one sees a perfect match up of the sky and the water, with a hint of cloud in the sky, and a small ripple running through the watery reflection of the building. The leaves on the trees are just fuzz, as are the tops of the grasses along the banks of the river. The figures are indistinct, as is appropriate for commonplace fixtures in a landscape of that time. The main focus is the harmony of the greens and the pale blues and white, along with the soft haziness that comes from how the eye blends those color harmonies.

Orpheus leading Eurydice from the Underworld by Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot. Museum of Fine Art Houston.

What could be more ethereal, dreamlike and smokey in atmosphere than a path leading out of hell? Corot, who was also a great lover of music, shows Orpheus here with his lyre held high, showing the power of music. The atmosphere is both appropriate to the realm of the spirits and to the sad ending of the story. Orpheus could not resist turning to look back at Eurydice before they actually escaped, so his love was taken back to dwell among those shadowing entities of the type seen in the background of the painting. Corot’s work was beloved for its poetry and the way that it could blend the elements of realism into something rather unreal, yet very pleasing. Claude Monet gets the last word at this point, as he famously said, “There is only one master here: Corot.”

Paintings are in Public Domain.

Marjorie Vernelle is an artist, writer, college professor, and traveler. For more see the Pages at ofartandwine.com or her author page at amazon.com and her art at Vernelle Art Boutique vernellestudio.com

Pouilly Fumé: Tones of Flint and Matchstick.

Here it is the central growing region in the France’s Loire Valley where one finds Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé, Pouilly-sur-Loire, and a number of other notable wines. Courtesy of Vins-Centre-Loire.com

Pouilly Fumé is an off-gold color, has notes of apricot, heather, green grass, white flowers, and yes, a hint of a”gunflint smoky aroma.” (see vins-centre-loire.com/appellations ). First, let’s not mistake this wonderful confluence of flavors made with Sauvignon Blanc grapes with a similarly named wine, Pouilly Fuissé, which is made from Chardonnay grapes in southern Burgundy. Nor is it Pouilly-sur-Loire, which is made from Chasselas grapes, though both Pouilly Fumé and Pouilly-sur-Loire have that same slightly smoky quality. That flinty quality comes from the minerals in the shale rock under the limestone and clay in the Loire Valley.

Though it is often seen to be in the shadow of Sancerre, this dry white wine holds its own with both Sancerre and Vouvray, another Loire Valley white wine. As in most wines in the Loire, the vintners make much over the soil that the grapes are grown in, and in the case of Pouilly Fumé, it’s the flint that counts, even though it has other lovely notes of fruit and grass. Sancerre seems to have become the bistro wine of choice and certainly, when it became popular in America, that had to do with how easily it paired with so many foods. It was an easy and perfect dry white wine one could serve with assurance, while Pouilly Fumé was considered more sophisticated, more “chic.” However, as Sancerre becomes more and more expensive, why not look at Pouilly Fumé? A good way to get to sample all of these wines from the Loire is to become a member of a wine club that deals in international wines. Cellars International Wine Club is a club that does just that and allows you to specify which of a number of vetted charities Cellars will donate a percentage of your purchase to – good wine and good works. See the Cellars Wine Club page under Of Art and Wine Pages or click here www.cellarswineclub.com

It is said that Pouilly Fumé is food friendly. Like Sancerre it goes marvelously with shellfish, salmon, white fish, scallops, grilled chicken (how about with some Panko crumbs for topping on that chicken?), and if you are really into smoke, try it with that wonder of French cooking, smoked chicken. Veal is also a good choice, as is a foie gras terrine. Don’t forget the cheeses, triple cream, Brie, goat cheeses, in fact, all soft cheeses are a good bet here.

Of course, Pouilly Fumé works wonderfully well just as an aperitif or with a quick snack like a tartine (an small open-faced sandwich). My favorite tartine is a lightly toasted slice from a round loaf of French bread or Sour Dough bread spread with a black olive tapenade, which must be mixed with some garlic and capers and maybe a touch of cognac, and finally you must put some sun-dried tomatoes along the top. Heat it quickly in the oven and eat it all warmed up. A bit crunchy and delicious, it is great with a wonderful glass of chilled (46 degrees F.) Pouilly Fumé. Then you dream of your favorite Corot painting of some golden twilight filtering through a haze of autumn leaves overlooking a placid pale blue stream and a matching slightly overcast sky. Divine!

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

©marjorie vernelle 2019

Coming soon: Wine Tasting Portraits and Le Beaujolais Nouveau!

Tasting Wine, 19th century English.

Now admittedly this English gentleman may not have been tasting the Beaujolais Nouveau, but he has the right spirit, and when the new Beaujolais arrives, it is a world-wide celebration, England and America included. This year it is on November 21st, as that is the third Thursday of November, the official date when Le Beaujolais Nouveau est Arrivé. So go to a wine tasting and come to OfArtandWine.com to look at painted images of wine tasting and find out about the yearly celebrations for this primeur wine.

Leonardo in the Loire and Vouvray Wine

Study of Arms and Hands for the now lost portrait, Lady of Lichtenstein, by Leonardo da Vinci, 1474.

Although this is just a study, like many of Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings, it has a charm and an appeal all its own. From the way the hands emerge from the lines indicating the clothing to his “pentimento,” an alteration in the placement of the lady’s right arm and hand, the drawing engages us. The master’s touch is both light and fluid, as in the lines that indicate clothing without going into much detail. The hands are the main subjects. We see them emerge as full bodied creations with the fingers crimped slightly, touching a piece of cloth or holding a shadowy arm that the artist decided not to finish. The definitive outline around the hands is complimented by the layers of shading that give volume to the fingers and the backs of the hands, while the touches of white bring out the fullness expected in a life-like representation of this subject. Amusingly, in the upper left corner is a face of the kind that Leonardo was famous for drawing. It is said he followed people with unusual faces through the streets to be able to capture their unique expressions. That little face is also a reminder that this page, as lovely as it is, is in a space where an artist’s mind may wander from one thing to many.

As famous as he was and is, one cannot say that Leonardo da Vinci led a completely charmed life. His mother was not his father’s wife. His father, a prominent notary in Florence, saw to it that the boy got something of an education, though it seemed young Leonardo learned the most by roaming through nature in the countryside near his birthplace. He became an apprentice in the workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio at age 14, where his talent was noted. As a young man, he struck out for the duchy of Milan, arriving in a court where he was known as a “sans lettere” since his poor formal education had not taught him Latin and Greek. However, Leonardo’s innate brilliance could not be hidden. He served Duke Ludovico Sforza from 1482 to 1498, when the French king, Charles VIII, invaded and took control. From 1498 to 1515, Leonardo moved around quite a bit, from Milan, to Florence, to Venice, to Milan again, to Rome, etc. During all of this time, whether in Milan or elsewhere, Leonardo da Vinci created his most famous works. However, all of these shifts in location and patrons, accompanied by increasing age and ill health created rather strained circumstances for the artist. In his 60s, Leonardo suffered a series of strokes making his right hand useless, though fortunately he was left-handed. However, just as in a Greek play, at the last moment as if from the heavens, around 1516 in swoops King Francis I of France to carry the great artist off to a wonderful retreat in the beautiful Loire Valley. Leonardo for his part brought with him his marvelous drawings and a few paintings, like La Gioconda, more commonly known as the Mona Lisa.

Le Clos Lucé in Amboise, France. Leonardo da Vinci spent his last years here as the guest of King Francis I of France.

Here is a page from one of da Vinci’s notebooks with his plans for the idea city. Don’t be upset if you cannot read his writing. He, a left-hander, wrote from left to right with everything spelled so that it could only be read if held up to a mirror. Every artist has his eccentricities. The fine quality of Leonardo’s drawing is often remarked on and the techniques that created works like the lovely silver point drawing above of the lady’s arms and hands are worth taking a look at.

Not a bad retirement home, don’t you think? Francis I was a humanist and a supporter of the arts. It was he who brought the Renaissance to France and most notably maintained close contact with da Vinci. It is said that he had a tunnel made that went from the Chateau d’Amboise to the Clos Lucé so that he could go visit Leonardo secretly and at will. Francis I made da Vinci his First Painter, Engineer, and Architect, with the grand project of designing a planned city called Romorantin, which would be engineered to allow its inhabitants to have better access to water for sanitation purposes. This was an idea that Leonardo had first conceived of in the 1480s as a possible solution to the ravages of plague. For more on that city see this article: https://phys.org/news/2019-05-leonardo-da-vinci-ideal-city.html

Artists of the Renaissance ground their own paints (as some artists do today) and made the surfaces they drew and painted on. Silver point and gold point drawings are done with a stylus that has a piece of silver or gold as the point with which one draws. Just trying this on paper does not yield any results. The surface must be a wooden panel or a piece of paper made from rag (cotton cloth) coated with bone ash, glue, and perhaps a pigment colored in cream, blue, rose, etc. That last is the reason we sometimes see drawings by the old masters on those lovely colored backgrounds. The design is then scratched or drawn on this paper or panel coated with the hand mixed ground. Highlights can be put in with touches of white watercolor or gouache or by actually scraping through the colored ground to the white underneath. For more on these techniques, I recommend this video from the British Royal Collection Trust, which has 550 of da Vinci’s drawings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f0ym3CtleQ

Leonardo’s Double Helix Staircase at Chambord Castle in the Loire Valley in France.

Alas, Leonardo’s age and poor health hampered his ability to complete the plans for the new city. However, he did come up with one engineering marvel that King Francis incorporated into his wonderful Chateau de Chambord, which he had designed with towers in the image of the medieval palace (the Louvre?) seen in the Tres Riches Heures de Duc de Berry. The engineering marvel is the staircase now known as the Double Helix or DNA Staircase seen above. It allows for people to go up without seeing who is going down and vice versa. The fact that it does represent the form that we now know DNA strands to have only heightens our appreciation for the images that a great artist can pull from the ethers of imagination and the purposes they can be used for.

Here we see the interior of that famous staircase as it spirals up some four floors to the top of the chateau where one can go out and walk among the many towers of Chambord Chateau. The stone is the same light color we see in the background of many of Leonardo’s drawings

Leonardo da Vinci died in 1519 in Amboise, the location of the Clos Lucé. His death was widely mourned. Francis I actually led a funeral procession to the Chapel of St. Florentin where da Vinci was lain to rest. He was not, however, at the artist’s bedside when da Vinci died as was represented in a dramatic painting by Ingres a few centuries later. The French Revolution destroyed the Chapel of St. Florentin, so da Vinci’s remains were transferred to the Chapel St. Hubert, which rests safely on the grounds of the Chateau d’Amboise.

Leonardo da Vinci’s tomb inside the Chapelle St. Hubert in Amboise, France.

Work by Leonardo da Vinci is in Public Domain.

Marjorie Vernelle is an artist, writer, college professor, and traveler. For more see the Pages at ofartandwine.com or her author page at amazon.com and her art at Vernelle Art Boutique vernellestudio.com.

Leonardo said it best, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” And now Vouvray.

Photo of Vouvray in the Loire Valley of France.

Simple elegance appropriate to the Valley famous as the home of the French nobility not only describes the town but also wine made from the Chenin Blanc grapes grown in that area. Vouvray is one of the most well known and respected appellations grown in the Touraine. Vouvray, the town, and the seven or eight villages around it have produced Vouvray wine since the middle ages. Vouvray comes in both sparkling and still versions. The sparkling versions can be had in brut or demi-sec (somewhat sweet). The still versions offer a bit more choice, coming in sec, which is dry and spare; tendre, which is off-dry, with fruit and floral notes; demi-sec, which is sweet and fruity; and finally moelleux, which is a sweet dessert wine. So as you can see, there is something for every taste and every occasion. One problem can be that these distinctions are not always on the bottles, so it is important that when you get exactly what you want in taste to note the name of the vintner.

The Chenin Blanc grape is grown along the banks of the Loire throughout the Touraine. Some say that Vouvray is Chenin Blanc and Chenin Blanc is Vouvray. Not quite. Vouvray is truly the product of the eponymous area, as Chenin Blanc grapes there are grown on the clay limestone soil rich in schist (shale rock with layers of minerals) that is found in that locality. The area begins on the eastern edge of Tours and runs through about seven communities and 150 vineyards along the banks of the Loire. The weather is a combination of marine and continental climates which allows the grapes to grow late into the season. Harvest time is October into mid-November, that latter date good for the making of moelleux, as it produces the grapes with the most sugar, just right for a dessert wine.

Vouvray comes in a variety of colors ranging from the delicate, pale version seen here to a rather golden yellow. Its acidity with touches of apple or pear makes it a good match for seafood as well as roast chicken. It can also stand as a good aperitif. The easiest to pair is the Tendre Vouvray as it is slightly more fruity yet maintains some of the dry quality of the sec.

Seafood again goes well with Tendre Vouvray, but also roast pork, turkey, or veal, especially when combined with a fruit sauce. It also goes well with hard cheeses, and is a white wine that can still appeal even in winter. Its dryness and the freshness of the lemon zest often found in it go very well with Chinese food. You can experiment with some of the wines from the Loire Valley including Vouvray through Cellars Wine Club, where you can also allow 15% of your wine purchase to support a charity from a list of vetted charities. Just click on Cellars Wine Club under Of Art and Wine Pages for more information on that or go to www.cellarswineclub.com.

So if you take to looking at a book of Leonardo da Vinci’s wonderful drawings, whether of people or mechanical devices, I suggest a cool glass of Vouvray sec, for it is as light, delicate, and fresh as da Vinci’s fine draughtsmanship – a perfect paring.

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

©marjorie vernelle 2019

Coming Soon: The Hazy Light of Corot and the Light Smoke of Pouilly Fumé

The Bridge at Mantes by Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, 1868

Corot was from Paris and painted many scenes from just north of there, yet there is something in the warmth and tonality of his colors that makes me think of one of the Loire Valley’s most revered wines, Pouilly Fumé.

Autumn in New York, Edward Hopper, and Pinot Noir.

“That time of year…when yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang.” Shakespeare, Sonnet 73

Shakespeare at Dusk by Edward Hopper, 1935. Private Collection. Click picture to magnify.

Edward Hopper (1882-1967) famously commented, “If you could say it in words, there would be no reason to paint.” Yet, he appreciated the written word, especially those of Shakespeare, so it is fitting that he should paint this homage to the master of words in a scene of Central Park and its statue of the bard. Hopper is often associated with isolation and loneliness. Fittingly here, even though this is New York City, there are no people in the park, as though the artist were the one person, sitting alone on a park bench, looking at this autumn twilight scene. The city and the world are out there just beyond the trees, but here in this select space are silence and perhaps memories.

Luminosity is one of the qualities Hopper’s work is known for. This interest in light and its effects may date back to his early trips to France where he was influenced by the works of Edgar Degas, known for his extraordinary use of light in his portraits of ballet dancers. Hopper, in his studies in New York, worked with Robert Henri, who emphasized painting the everyday world in a realistic fashion. Hopper’s work above certainly shows realism, yet there is something in it that is unreal, as though elements in it have been pared down and stylized. The grassy areas are beautifully spaced ovals, leaving large open paths for strolling. Oddly where the trees have lost their leaves, there is no indication of colorful leaves, even just a few, on the grass or the pathways. The artist has eliminated any excess, leaving an unnatural precision to an area that realistically would show the effects of being high trafficked. That increases the focus on the light coming from behind the buildings. It shines golden with an odd turquoise sky that puts the buildings into silhouette to herald the approaching darkness of night.

“I may not be very human,” Hopper once said. “All I want to do is paint sunlight on the side of a building.”

Early Sunday Morning by Edward Hopper, 1930.

Certainly Hopper made a specialty of working with the way sunlight falls on buildings, inside and out. His Early Sunday Morning (1930) is probably the classic play of pale dawn light washing down the front of a rather ordinary brick building. It has the feel of the familiar, the known, and yet, since there is no other activity, we are not distracted by thoughts of what may be going on inside the building, behind those shade-drawn windows. All of that seems to be still asleep. So we concentrate on the light falling on the brick, the shadows it creates, and the still darkened shop windows. If we want to, we can imagine the life that will appear on the streets within a few hours as the area where this building exists comes to life in its normal ordinary way. But for the moment captured in this painting, all that is yet to come, and the viewer, still wiping sleep from the eyes, may just have noticed how the soft morning light falls on the building across the way.

However, when we look at Rooms by the Sea (1951), something very different is going on. Yes, we have a set of rooms, whether in a house or a hotel suite one cannot tell. The light is bright, full, sun on a wall in a room that has minimal indication of how it is appointed; in fact, the wall of sunlight hides a more interior room where a part of the furnishings can be seen. The viewer sees a great expanse of sea through an open door. It all seems normal and inviting until you notice that the door lets you drop right into the choppy waters.

Rooms by the Sea by Edward Hopper, 1951. Yale University Art Gallery. Click picture to magnify.

The odd structure of this room makes it seem specifically fabricated by the artist to allow him the maximum ability to show off the effect of sunlight on the side of that wall. In fact, the open door works like an invitation for the light to come in. The way the door opens onto deep ocean water is perhaps the artist being cheeky by presenting literally rooms side-by-side with the sea, with nothing to separate them. This little subtlety can go unnoticed at first, but when one does notice, it changes the feeling of the painting. Its “realism” comes into question and puts the viewer off balance.

“No amount of skillful invention can replace the essential element of imagination.” Edward Hopper

The element of imagination is at play in all of Hopper’s works, which may be one of the reasons, besides his life-long love of the cinema, that he has sometimes been called a cinematic painter. His lonely old House by the Railroad (1925) echoes in films like George Stevens’ Giant and Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. Perhaps his most cinematic is Nighthawks (1942), as it has a film noir quality to it. It was used as such in an ad a few years ago for the CSI television series, where around the bar sat the cast of the Las Vegas based series. The series paid homage to Hopper’s painting by using it to plant clues for two of its episodes.

“Great art is the outward expression of an inner life of the artist…” Edward Hopper.

For one last look at Shakespeare at Dusk, it is instructive to consider the exhaustive biography of Edward Hopper done by Gail Levin, Edward Hopper, the Art and the Artist, 1980. Within it she looks at Hopper’s painting of this autumn in New York scene and the connection he made to Shakespeare’s Sonnet 73, which sees the falling leaves of autumn as the harbinger of death to come. She notes that Hopper’s mother, who had been his surviving parent, died that year, which may have brought to mind his own inevitable mortality. So yes, the inner life of the artist expresses itself and here, and certainly it does so in great art. Since all great art desires a great wine, for this autumn painting by Hopper, the suggestion is a glass of red Burgundy (Pinot Noir).

Paintings by Hopper are used in accordance with Fair Use Policy for purposes of critique and review.

Marjorie Vernelle is an artist, writer, college professor, and traveler. For more see the Pages at ofartandwine.com or her author page at amazon.com and her art at Vernelle Art Boutique vernellestudio.com.

Autumn: Cool breezes, golden leaves and red Burgundy (Pinot Noir)

The Burgundian Court and the Wedding of Duke Philip the Good to Isabel of Portugal, 1430. Click on picture to magnify.

Yes, the Dukedom of Burgundy was a real powerhouse back in the 15th century, and rival to the then relatively small Kingdom of France. As such, the royal court of Duke Philip the Good never failed to put on lavish exhibitions of wealth and power. Above one sees a representation of the wedding celebration for Duke Philip when he married Isabel of Portugal in 1430. One thing for sure, they had some red Burgundy wine at that party.

Oddly enough the Pinot Noir grape, the source of the red wines associated with Burgundy, comes from one called the Gouais Blanc, but has branched into many other forms, such as Pinot Gris/Grigio and the Pinot Blanc. All of these have the same DNA with a few mutations to change the color. Chardonnay is a close relative, by the way. The word pinot in French refers to a pine cone and is applied here because the pinot noir grape clusters have the same shape as a pine cone. Its most outstanding characteristic is that it is easily drinkable and pairs well with just about any food.

Don’t think, however, that those old Burgundians were the first to see the benefits of this grape and the wines that could be made from them. Oh no, the Romans beat them to it. It was one of their discoveries when they conquered Gaul. A stronger influence on the popularity of Pinot Noir than even the Romans was that of the Catholic Church, which deemed it to be a good wine for sacrament. Well, that cemented its popular usage, as any wine good enough for Jesus was good enough for everyone else.

We know that it is a good choice for pairing with about any food, but let’s get to some specifics here. It seems to really delight with Asian food, and that is anything from sushi, sashimi, teriyaki, to Chinese dim sum, to Tandoori chicken or lamb. In fact spicy foods go well with Pinot Noir, as do both hard and soft cheeses. In France it is often served with duck or other game meats as the tannin in Pinot Noir brings out the flavor. However, it is also a favorite with Italian pastas, lean meats, pesto and pizza. For a short tutorial on food pairings with Pinot Noir, I turn you over to Sommelier Theo Rutherford, who celebrates Pinot Noir Day : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkPrGML5_-Q

The Secret Life of Pinot Noir

Yes, every good wine has a life of its own. Pinot Noir has a few little secrets. The quality of the tannin and the richness of the color can be determined by the use of whole cluster fermentation. Yes, they put the grapes and the stems both into the fermentation process. It does not mean that the vintners always include all of the stems. Some mixes have 20% of the grapes with the stems, some have 40%, and so on. The stems, depending upon the time of year the grapes are harvested, add different herbal and vegetal flavors, like those found in green stems to the more mellow spice of wood, the forest floor and flowers found once the stems go brown. To fully appreciate the rich notes of this wine, you should have a bell-shaped glass, which allows the aromas to collect and funnel into your nose. Pinot Noir should be served slightly chilled, around 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you are someone who is on the small glass of red wine per day regime (for medicinal and healthy heart purposes only), then Pinot Noir is great. It has 3.4 grams of carbs, and 120 calories in a 5 oz. serving, and it tastes good. Lastly, just for curiosity, did you know that there is a White Pinot Noir or Pinot Noir Blanc? The color is white-gold to golden saffron, and the taste is of fruit, like pear, apple, lemon and orange zest.

In the video with Sommelier Theo, he mentions the fine Pinot Noirs found in New Zealand. However, Pinot Noir wines from the Pacific Coast have been winning awards lately. California has long had excellent Pinot Noir wine, but now Oregon, Washington and British Columbia are firmly in the game. Cellars Wine Club located in Washington state has a variety a ways to sample wines from home and abroad. The West Coast Wine Club (cellarswineclub.com) and the International Wine Club (cellarswineclub.com) provide good opportunities to experience a wide selection from different regions. For more information, click the links above to go to the specific wine clubs.

So as the leaves turn to gold and sun begins to set earlier each day, welcome in the autumn with a glass of Pinot Noir. You’ll be glad you did.

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

©marjorie vernelle 2019

Coming soon on Of Art and Wine: Leonardo in the Loire Valley and Vouvray Wine

Leonardo da Vinci spent the last years of his life Amboise, France, on an estate called the Clos Lucé as the guest of King Francis I. The idea of his living in the Loire Valley, the valley of French royalty, makes me wonder what great wines he might have had. The one that comes to mind when I think of his drawings is Vouvray, for it is as light, delicate and fresh as da Vinci’s fine draughtsmanship .

Whistler’s Nocturnes and Chardonnay, Unoaked, Oaked, and Sparkling

I can remember entering the room in the Grand Palais in Paris where Whistler’s Nocturnes were on display, as part of the TurnerWhistlerMonet exhibition that had come from the Art Gallery of Ontario. The exhibition was near its end, and most of the rooms had only a handful of visitors that evening. However, I was … Continue reading “Whistler’s Nocturnes and Chardonnay, Unoaked, Oaked, and Sparkling”

Nocturne in Blue and Silver – Chelsea by James McNeill Whistler. 1871.

I can remember entering the room in the Grand Palais in Paris where Whistler’s Nocturnes were on display, as part of the TurnerWhistlerMonet exhibition that had come from the Art Gallery of Ontario. The exhibition was near its end, and most of the rooms had only a handful of visitors that evening. However, I was in for a sudden surprise when I entered the room with Whistler’s Nocturnes. That was where everyone was and with good reason. This show had collected nine of Whistler’s famous paintings of the night, works that had been so excoriated by famous 19th century British art critic, John Ruskin, that Whistler had sued him for libel. Whistler won, but only a penny farthing in damages. In addition, the pictures had been walked into court upside down and suffered Ruskin’s everlasting invective, so they were rendered unsaleable, leaving the artist bankrupt. However, 140 some years later, they are seen as a brilliant step forward in terms of modernizing art.

In the 1870s, James McNeill Whistler moved from doing landscapes and portraits into views of London made with the indistinct aspects that happen when night falls and the city “hangs in the heavens,” as he once explained. Originally called “Moonlights,” the name was changed when a friend, art collector and fellow lover of music, gave Whistler the idea of calling them by the musical term nocturne. In these paintings, the artist experimented with different ways of thinning oil paints to give them more of the fluidity of watercolors. Monet’s watercolors of the Thames from the 1860s were his inspiration there. Yet, in Whistler’s Nocturnes, like the one above, Nocturne Blue and Silver – Chelsea, the buildings are so indistinct that they might be anywhere in the world. They had been taken into the imagination and came to reside in some place beyond it, with only meager ties to a previous earthly existence. The tones are cool, fresh, crisp, very similar to the description of an unoaked Chardonnay, a perfect wine pairing for this painting.

Nocturne: Blue and Silver – Cremorne Lights 1872 James Abbott McNeill Whistler 1834-1903 Bequeathed by Arthur Studd 1919 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/N03420 Click on picture to magnify.

Interesting how the mishandling of the delicate concepts involved in creating paintings and wine can literally leave a bad taste in your mouth. The overly rich oaking of Chardonnay in the 1980s and early ’90s gave all types of Chardonnay a bad reputation for tasting too buttery. However, vintners pulled back and balanced the oaking process to create a more drinkable wine without sacrificing the smoothness created during the oaking process.

Likewise in the painting above, a nocturne with the lights of a riverside park known as Cremorne, Whistler warms his blue and silver with flushes of yellow and hints of violet. The tonal changes indicate the coming of the night marked by human intervention – lights. The coolness of the blues is warmed and enriched by the yellow coming from the lights and their reflections upon the water. The colors are balanced to provide a different sensation, a view from a different part of the river, a slightly different time in the approaching night, but with the comforting presence of light, though artificial. The essence is quite similar to a fine oaked Chardonnay. It is balanced, easy, comfortable and comforting to drink, especially if you are admiring this painting.

Nocturne in Black and Gold – the Falling Rocket, 1875, by James McNeill Whistler. Detroit Institute of the Arts.

And here is the piece that really sent the 19th century critics over the edge, a painting of fireworks in the night. Ruskin railed that Whistler had simply thrown a pot of paint at the canvas, and that being such a simple act, the value of the painting should be commiserate with that effort – near zero. Viewers kept trying to place the exact location of this painting. Generally late 19th century British clientele for art were fairly well-traveled, so many first thought it was a scene from Venice. Had Whistler lied and said yes, he probably would have sold this piece. But no, it was just a scene from along the Thames where revelers had lighted up a Saint Catherine’s Wheel and shot fireworks (rockets) into the sky to celebrate St. Catherine’s Day. When the viewers could not pick out where exactly along the Thames this took place, the painting became incomprehensible to them – no sale.

Of course the way the little sparks of light take off in a variety of directions with their remains drifting down into an indistinct darkness is a perfect rendition of a fireworks display in the night sky. So in an odd sense, it is quite a literal representation of the sparks, grayish smoke, and murky river water that one might have seen. Yet it was too far out for their time, though amazingly beautiful in ours. Whistler’s nocturnes were influencial, however. To see Whistler’s influence on another American painter, go to the blog at vernellestudio.com to read “Nocturnes: Remington Paints the Energy of the Night.”

For viewing Nocturne Black and Gold, nothing works better that a sparkling Chardonnay. California brags about the light, fresh, fruit and white flowers hints that are present in the sparkling Chardonnays produced there, calling them sun kissed. Of course, in France in Champagne, Chardonnay is one of the three principle grapes used in making champagne, along with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. In relation to that Whistler nocturne of the fireworks on St. Catherine’s Day, a sparkling wine made just of Chardonnay grapes, called a Blanc des Blancs, would be a perfect match.

Chardonnay and the various ways that it manifests requires more detailed and expert explanation, so for that I shall send you to Madeline Puckette at www.winefolly.com. There you can see charts showing the variety of colors the wine takes on, find out more about how each form of Chardonnay is made, and get a few food suggestions. Oh yes, food!

So what are a good wine and a good painting without good food?

I knew you would ask. Since Chardonnay has more or less recovered from the old days when it was over-oaked, much more consideration is given to food pairings. A crisp, cool, unoaked Chardonnay, just think of Whistler’s Blue and Silver Nocturne, goes well with creamy vegetable soups, lightly cooked shellfish, grilled fish, chicken or perhaps paté. Often an unoaked Chardonnay of this type will be called a Chablis.

If you go for an oaked Chardonnay because of that smooth, rich buttery flavor, then salmon with a creamy sauce, Caesar salad or other salads with a creamy cheese dressing, pork or chicken, and naturally, pasta again with a creamy sauce are good pairings. Of course, since there is a range in the oaking process, the fuller bodied Chardonnays work well with meat dishes and vegetables like corn, peppers, butter squash and pumpkin.

However, there are some types of foods that conflict. Chinese and Thai cuisines are not recommended, nor are smoked meats or fish, light goat cheeses or seared salmon or tuna. Dishes with a tomato base are better with an Italian red or white.

As for sparkling Chardonnay, well read the Of Art and Wine post, “Seduction and Vermeer’s The Glass of Wine,”on Champagne and human pheromones, before your proceed. In terms of good things to eat, certainly oysters, fried calamari, triple cream brie, stuffed mushrooms, foie gras, etc., etc., etc. If you are really up for fun, try it with a nice hot buttery popcorn, which goes well with a fireworks display or Whistler’s painted version.

So there it is, a little boost for good old Chardonnay now that it has rejoined the world as a perfectly good wine to drink with many types of food. Our states on the Pacific Coast produce a lot of fine versions of Chardonnay. For those I refer you to the West Coast Wine Club at www.cellarswineclub.com. Enjoy the wines and enjoy the paintings. They are divine creations.

Paintings by Whistler are in Public Domain.

Marjorie Vernelle is an artist, writer, college professor, and traveler. For more see the Pages at ofartandwine.com or her author page at amazon.com and her art at Vernelle Art Boutique vernellestudio.com.

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

©marjorie vernelle 2019

Coming Soon on Of Art and Wine: Autumn in New York, Edward Hopper and Pinot Noir

Shakespeare at Dusk by Edward Hopper, 1935. Click picture to magnify.

How better to enjoy an Edward Hopper painting and the oncoming autumn than with a glass of Pinot Noir, one of the most drinkable wines ever.

Seduction and Vermeer’s The Glass of Wine

The Glass of Wine by Johannes Vermeer, 1660-1661.

To say that Vermeer paid great attention to detail is an understatement for sure. Here we certainly see all the fine points, the tiles of the floor, the details of the table covering, and even the fine stained glass window, which is said to hold an image of Temperance, herself. The woman’s dress and hair covering are finely executed, as are the man’s green cloak, his fine white ruffled sleeve, and the large black hat of the expensive type known in that day. The white wine pitcher is a jewel of a still life all on its own, and the wine glass itself is so clear that it gives off a marvelous crystalline shine. The shadows in the room are captured right down to that one area of reflected blue from the stained glass window, which itself is just a slight bit ajar. Ah yes, the image of Temperance, with just a slight opening for possibilities, and that leads us to the mystery that all this detail supports. What is going on between this man and this woman, all alone in this room?

So here we have them, by themselves, with the woman draining a glass of wine, and the man standing over her eager to pour her another, while Temperance’s image colors the light that comes into the shadowy room. A man and a woman alone, the influence of alcohol, and a visual warning about temptation. Well, if that is not a set-up for seduction, I don’t know what is. Now, of course, he could just be an eager merchant wanting the lady of the house to buy his wine. However, the way his face is in shadow leaves his intentions all the more mysterious. Added to that is that he is still wearing his outer cloak, so he is newly arrived. What is the hurry?

For more understanding of what might be going on, we need to look at women’s roles in the Dutch Golden Age, the 17th century. Dutch society was structured so that the exterior world was the domain of men, while the interior of the home was the realm of the women of the house, except for a rather small front parlor where men met and did their business deals. The exterior world was considered unsafe and lacking in Christian virtues in a very strict Protestant sense. The interior of the home provided safety and protection from immorality. Women controlled all the activities that made the house run, from the cleaning, cooking, management of servants, spinning, and needlework, to the purchase of foods. The women also controlled the small private rooms of the house where they might meet outsiders. This included the young unmarried women in the household. Though these visits were supposed to be chaperoned, there were many Calvinist sermons preaching about the need for this supervision, which suggests that it may not have happened all that often.

Vermeer doesn’t give us any definitive indication. However, there is a painting done a year or so before called The Girl with a Wine Glass, which tells a story of suitors for a young woman in a similar dress, in the same room, with the same wine pitcher, the same window with Temperance, and a suitor whom she seems to like, wearing what might be a greenish cape, with a ruffled white sleeve surrounding his wrist. While we see her face looking at us and being quite pleased with the attention, it would be hard to say she is the same young woman. However, as in the the other painting, she accepts the glass of wine, here from a man who seems to be courting her.

The Girl with the Wine Glass by Johannes Vermeer, 1659-1660.

Well, just like the Girl with the Pearl Earring, we can only guess at what is going on in these pictures, especially the first one since there are only two characters. In The Girl with the Wine Glass, we see two suitors, obviously one is having success and the other is disappointed or just a bored buddy. These paintings were done at the time in Vermeer’s career when his painting was turning to these compositions of the quiet interior rooms of the home, the rooms that the women managed, and the life lived in those rooms. Unlike some of the other Dutch painters of the time who painted raucous scenes of drunken merriment, like Jan Steen or even Rembrandt, who famously portrayed himself merrily drinking a stein of beer with his wife, Saskia, sitting on his lap, Vermeer proceeded along the lines of Pieter de Hooch whose quiet interiors started a rage for such things.

Vermeer went for images with less and less overt action and more mystery, developing it into the style he is so famous for today. Just compare the 1659-60 painting to the 1660-61 painting, where we go from obvious courtship to something more intriguing, as we don’t know the exact relationship between the two people in the latter painting. We do, however, suspect that the man wants the wine to have a certain affect on the woman, and he wants to have it happen quickly for he seems to have started plying her with wine upon his arrival, not even having taken off his hat and cloak.

Well, Vermeer would not be Vermeer without mystery, so we are all left to ponder while we appreciate the details of the painting, its precision, and the beautiful handling of the paint. Just look at how he handles the variations in white in this detail from The Glass of Wine.

One last thing in case you associate the Dutch with beer and not wine, here is a bit of detail on the wine trade in the Dutch Golden Age. It is an article by Henriette Rahusen called “Dutch Burghers and Their Wine: Nary a Sour Grape.”www.nga.gov Should you really want the rip-roaring story of that period in Dutch (and world) history, try Simon Schama’s, The Embarrassment of Riches. You will certainly love reading his telling of the children’s riots, when the pure, Protestant, city fathers outlawed the little ones’ Christmas cookies and bonbons. (Spoiler alert: The kids won.)

Vermeer’s paintings are in Public Domain.

Marjorie Vernelle is an artist, writer, college professor, and traveler. For more see the Pages at ofartandwine.com or her author page at amazon.com and her art at Vernelle Art Boutique vernellestudio.com.

Wine and Seduction: The Nose is the Thing.

Let us first pay homage to Bacchus, Lord God of the Vine, its fruits and their product – wine. Add in good food, a spirit of relaxation, and a few sips of an aromatic elixir made from the grape, then let the revelry begin. Well, maybe not on the first date, which is why Champagne, though perfect for special days like Valentine’s and just about anything else, is not good for early in the relationship, as it is a bit too celebratory. Better to start with a good Cabernet. In fact the use of different wines at different stages of a relationship is a complex and complicated business, subject to misinterpretations and pitfalls, many of them based not on the taste of the wine but its smell.

We humans are sight based. We have hearing, touch, taste, and yes, smell, but sight is out primary sensory tool. However, other senses also play a role, and one that is unappreciated and underrated is smell. Though it need not be undervalued any more, for as it turns out, there are scientists who study these things. One was Dr. Max Lake, a surgeon and winemaker, who found that the scent of some wines tempt both men and women sexually because they are similar to the smell of human pheromones. Dr. Lake’s book, Scents and Sensuality, points out that red wines which have a musky, leathery, earthy smell resemble male pheromones, while white wines and sparkling wines have yeasty, doughy scents that resemble female pheromones.

Which Wines Do What?

Red wines, especially those which have been in oak barrels develop a scent akin to that of androstenone, a male hormone given off by male hair follicles. Dr. Lake points out, “[t]he mature Cabernet Sauvignon has an essence which is as close to this natural sexual turn-on as one could hope for.” No wonder full-bodied, oak-aged, red wines are becoming increasingly popular.

To take the concept a bit further, a musky Syrah or an earthy Bordeaux or Burgundy could have the same effect. And, of course, all pheromone scents improve moods, enhance feelings of relaxation, and promote confidence.

The Real Deal – Champagne!

Photo Credit to Victoria Moore from her article for the Telegraph

While wines like an oak-aged Chardonnay, or a Semillion, or a dry Riesling will work for still wine lovers, nothing matches Champagne or wines made with the Méthode Champenoise for being real turn-ons. It has to do with a scent produced that links to seafood and soft ripe cheeses, a scent similar to female pheromones. However, good old Champagne provides a double whammy, as it also produces a “sweaty” note like unto a male pheromone that influences female reproductive physiology. Dangerous! (For more on Champagne, take a look at this site’s post, “Edouard Manet: Champagne and a Night at the Folies.”)

To get a complete education on wine and seduction, no one is as thorough as a Brit. Here is Victoria Moore’s, “Wine and the Art of Seduction. For the gentleman: a masterclass in how to deal expertly with women and wine.” The conversations between the gentlemen are quite amusing, most particularly why not to pick Pinot Grigio on the first date. www.telegraph.co.uk

For those of us here in the U.S., let me just recommend Cellars Wine Club’s Sparkling Wine Club, www.cellarswineclub.com. Find out more by clicking on the Cellars Wine Club link in the right navigation bar under Of Art and Wine Pages. Just remember when you sniff a wine to get its aromas, there is more happening than just anticipation of the flavor. Be careful out there.

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

©marjorie vernelle 2019

Coming soon… Whistler’s Nocturnes and Chardonnay, Unoaked, Oaked, and Sparkling.

Nocturne Blue and Silver – Chelsea by James McNeill Whistler, 1871.

Yes, Whistler painted his mother sitting in a rocking chair, an American classic, but his overall painting was much more sophisticated than that. Come ponder these beautiful nocturnes over a glass of Chardonnay and see how the taste and the images just blend perfectly. (Coming end of September)

Monet’s Lily Pond and the Last of the Summer Wine

Water Lily Pond – Green Harmonies by Claude Monet, 1899.

Ah, summer! Its days are long, warm, often lazy, and always a welcome respite from the sharp chill of autumn and the bite of winter. It was in fact a hot day in August when I first saw the gardens of Monet’s home in Giverny. Claude Monet (1840-1926), the most commonly recognized member of the Impressionists (my apologies to Renoir, Degas, Pissarro, and the many others), lived on his property in Giverny for some 40 years, during which time he transformed the place into what looks like a personal paradise. It came, of course, with a lot of struggle, as the local community was none too fond of his rerouting the Epte river in order to make his famous lily ponds. When he built the large almost hangar-like studio in which he painted the huge panels of water lilies, he was even criticized for creating too modern a structure.

Still he persisted, through the many changes in his personal life (deaths of his first wife Camille and then after some years, his second wife, Alice), and even throughout World War I, when he could hear the canons of the battlefield from the confines of his gardens. The results are some 250 paintings and the 8 murals that now hang in the Orangerie in Paris, a gift, with his hopes for peace, to the nation of France upon the end of the war in 1918. However, it is more than an overwhelming contribution of beauty, it is also a master landscape painter saying, in the words of author Stephane Lambert, goodbye to the landscape.

Controversy has always followed these paintings since the turn of the 20th century ushered in Cubism and Abstraction. The whole project was sneered at for a long time by critics who thought the works were the result of the artistic stumbling of a half-blind old man past his prime. Monet, himself, would not allow the paintings to be shown until after his death, as no artist wants his greatest life work to be snickered at. I feel that was not because he doubted himself in any way, but because he knew that where he had gone in these paintings was beyond what people in his day would understand. However, with time the genius of them would be understood, and they would be seen as more than just pretty pictures. That had to do with the way he decentralized the landscape, taking away the familiar boundaries and making no one part more important than any other.

I first came across this concept of decentralization and Monet’s changing the ideas about what landscape is in a small, poetic little book by Belgian professor, Stephane Lambert, L’Adieu au paysage, les nymphéas de Claude Monet (Goodbye to Landscape, the Water Lilies of Claude Monet). Naturally, exploring these concepts leads to wonderful discoveries, as seen in the two paintings presented above. I must mention that the paintings chosen here are from before the severe cataract problem affected his eyesight in the period between 1912-1926. That eliminates the doddering, old, blind man theory as to why he painted these as he did.

In the first painting, Water Lily Pond – Green Harmonies (1899), we still see some of the familiar landmarks of painted scenes of landscape. The Japanese bridge is an important part of the composition, and catches the eye because it is a man-made item (though Monet’s garden is too – with nature’s help). It also serves as a way to help distinguish foreground from background, both of which are classical aspects of landscape. Yet there is a quality of the indistinct about the painting as everything is touched by green, be it yellow-green, leaf green, blue-violet green, or dark blackish green; almost all is green. The tonality of the greens creates the harmony in the painting, allowing us to distinguish certain things, the willows, the shrubs, the floating lily pads, without allowing a protracted gaze on any one thing other than the bridge. The bits of yellow-green in the trees and shrubs come forward as reflections of same in the open spaces of water between the floating groups of lilies. This adds to the harmony by uniting the area behind the bridge with that which is in front of it. The pinkish white lilies are counterpoints to these greens, making a subtle but necessary distinction in this accumulation of one color. The light that flows through the painting from the big willow through the waters of the pond, almost make this an earthly representation of the Milky Way, with the groups of floating lilies looking a bit like constellations.

Water Lily Pond by Claude Monet, 1904 Click picture to magnify.

Water Lily Pond (1904), the second painting chosen (above), has even more of this feel of things floating in space. One feels the depth in this watery space, with its darkness flowing like a curved channel through the painting. Oddly on the upper right there is a group of lilies that seem a bit higher than the others, as though they were bushes on the bank of the pond, except there is no visible bank. That landmark has been removed. We do still see some hint of trees dashed across the upper part of the painting, sufficing for background, but only just.

Water Lilly Pond by Claude Monet, 1907. Click picture to magnify.

Finally, we have another iteration of this theme and here in Water Lily Pond 1907, (above) Monet’s only reference to the banks of the pond are the reflections of the trees. The big groups of lilies in their little constellations float in a space that is not as clearly water as what we see in the “foreground.” However, the shift between these two groups of lilies is a bit unreal and ethereal. Monet is removing the normal points of reference and putting the viewer into the atmosphere itself, floating somewhere in abstraction.

In fact it was the arrival of Abstract Expressionism that brought Monet back into favor, as finally it was seen what he was really working on. When one views an abstract work like a painting by Mark Rothko, it draws your consciousness into the painting as if there were no boundaries between you and the painting. And whose paintings began to move the viewer into the atmosphere of the painting by removing the normal known boundaries of landscape? Monet. His gigantic murals in those lovely, now daylight lit rooms in the Orangerie, were designed to totally immerse the viewer into the atmosphere of that floating world.

While it is wonderful to talk of Monet, it is even better to experience his work. Here you will find a video of the murals in the Orangerie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMCe07JSxl4. Monet was a great collector of Japanese prints, so it seems fitting that in Japan, there is a wonderful tribute to Monet in the form of a Monet water lily pond https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69ks5akyFsA

Monet’s paintings provide a lot to enjoy and a lot to think about, including how best to enjoy a lovely late summer afternoon in a beautiful garden. I have a few suggestions below.

Monet’s paintings are in Public Domain.

Marjorie Vernelle is an artist, writer, college professor, and traveler. For more see the Pages at ofartandwine.com or her author page at amazon.com and her art at Vernelle Art Boutique vernellestudio.com.

The Last of the Summer Wine

Yes, ice. Yes, fruit. Yes, it’s summer and the last holiday weekend, so as they say in France on such occasions,”tout est permis!”

Well, I don’t want to encourage unbridled hedonism by saying “everything” is permitted, rather I just wish to convey the idea that not all the normal rules apply when enjoying wine in the summer. One such rule is not having white wine with meat. In winter, the rich quality of a good red and a meat dish satisfy our need for what is heavy and hearty. But it’s summer and it’s hot. That is when the light finish of a glass of Riesling is both refreshing and a good way to cleanse the palate. However, it seems that the all around favorite for summer is Sauvignon Blanc. It’s medium body makes it work well with just about any food. In that same category one also finds Pinot Grigio, which is quite refreshing, as it has a zesty quality provided by hints of lemon, lime, honeysuckle and green apple. Of course, one need not give up reds just because the weather is warm. A fat juicy burger tastes wonderful with a Grenache, because it is lacking in the harsh tannins of many other red wines.

Mixology

Summer also seems to be a time of great creativity, as we see here in a Xterry Kalimotxo (Cherry Calimocho). This one has been a favorite in the Basque region of Spain since the ’50s. Basically it is 6 oz of Coca Cola and 6 oz of Rioja or Temperanillo wine. However, for this particular mix, Cherry Coke Zero adds that special something.

For more on the Xherry Kalimotxo, there is a great article in Bloomberg called, ” 12 Cocktails of Summer” www.bloomberg.com

That is only the beginning of the mixes one can make. The classiest, of course, is the Mimosa. Made of orange juice and champagne, in my book it is never wrong, as it is light, nutritious (orange juice) and always celebratory. After all, aren’t we all glad to be alive? Drink up! However, champagne is not the only wine for mixing, as wine spritzers, made simply with your favorite wine and club soda, are also lovely summer cocktails. Probably some of the most common mixes involve punches. Those can be sangria with diced fresh fruit added or perhaps a strawberry wine punch. For that, use one bottle of Moscato, a thawed 10 oz can of Bacardi Daiquiri Mix, 1/2 liter lemon-lime soda, and garnish with chilled fresh strawberries.

These lovelies are Peach Moscato Wine Slushies, which I discovered on the Divas Can Cook website, which introduces viewers to Southern Cooking for the Modern Woman. All I can do is turn ya’ll over to Monique www.divas can cook.com

When looking for wines for all of these possibilities, do take a look at the types of wines offered at www.cellarswineclub.com. They have great selections and programs for every level of taste and budget. It is a great way to explore wine and have fun doing it.

What’s Old Is New Again!

Yes, they’re back. Wine coolers are back, maybe along with wide shoulder pads and big hair. At any rate, the brief history of wine coolers, which were all the rage in the ’80s, goes like this. They were rather like alcoholic soda pop, containing fruit flavors, fairly high ABV (alcohol by volume), and produced by such well-known companies as Seagrams. Of course once the ’90s arrived, the party was over mostly because of a major increase in tax on wine and ultimately beer, as cooler manufacturers switched to malt coolers.

However, though they are back, they come in new and improved versions, with lower ABV and artisan components like mint and yerba mate. The coolers also come in chic looking cans now instead of bottles. They are made with better quality wine and are less sweet. Several of the popular ones are Ramona, which has the taste of sparkling sweetened grapefruit juice, Blood Orange Spritz by Pampelonne Sparkling Wine Cocktails, which is a twist on the classic Campari Spritz, and Portland Sangria, which has a touch of rosemary.

So settle in for the last holiday weekend of the summer, appreciate your family and friends, your garden, your flowers, and maybe even take a look at some of Monet’s wonderful paintings of his lily ponds at Giverny.

Images of Monet’s Water Lily Pond paintings are in Public Domain. The picture of the Xherry Kalimotxo is from Bloomberg.com and the Moscato Wine Slushies photo is from DivasCanCook.com

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

©marjorie vernelle 2019

Coming Soon on Of Art and Wine Seduction and Vermeer’s The Glass of Wine

Detail of The Glass of Wine by Johannes Vermeer, 1660.

Perhaps this is just an erstwhile wine merchant trying to get the lady of the house to make a purchase. Perhaps. One thing that has been scientifically proven is that the aromas of wine can be a turn on for both men and women. So come to Of Art and Wine to find out which wines have the best amorous effects.

Botticelli on the Half Shell with Sancerre or Muscadet?

The Birth of Venus by Botticelli, 1486

Well, we have all seen it. You know, it – Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. His Venus is on T-shirts, umbrellas, notebooks, pillows and tote bags. The painting itself is quite pretty, obviously highly decorative. Wouldn’t you just love it gracing a wall in one of the vast rooms in your country home? It seems that a member of a lesser branch of the Medici family wanted just that and for a specific reason that influenced how it was painted and whom he chose to be the painter. The Medici family was enormously wealthy in the 15th century and ruled Florence as merchant princes. However, even the rich cut corners from time-to-time, and so it was with the commission for this painting and its companion, Primavera.

La Primavera by Sandro Botticelli, c.1480. Notice on the right the abduction of Chloris who is linked to Flora by a stem of leaves coming from her mouth, and the highly decorative pictorial space as befits a painting mimicking the style of a decorative tapestry. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.

The rage was for tapestries, and especially for the tapestries of northern Europe. However, they were terribly expensive. What was one to do? This Medici (and it is not known exactly which one) decided to hire a painter to create beautiful scenes in large format (The Birth of Venus is 5’8” x 9’13”) to hang on the walls of Villa di Castello and take the place of one of those expensive tapestries. The perfect person to accomplish this was an artist well into his career, someone who had the Medici as a patron, and someone who had a feeling for the classical myths which had reemerged during the Renaissance. All that pointed to Sandro Botticelli.

Self Portrait of Sandro Botticelli from The Gift of the Magi, 1475-1476

Botticelli was known for his fine drawing skills and his beautiful female figures, most of whom had very similar faces (more on that later). The idea for the Birth of Venus was to paint a classical myth, featuring a nude woman (you could get away with that if dealing with the classics) and various attendants, all telling a story. In this painting there are actually two stories, and yes, gory as many Greek myths are, they have hopeful endings. Venus was born when Saturn castrated his father Uranus whose blood fell into the sea. However, from this hateful act, the goddess of love was born out of the churning sea foam. The charming couple on the left side of the painting are Zepherus, God of the West Wind and his companion, a nymph named Chloris. They look wonderful together, but it did not start that way. Zepherus, being a Greek god, naturally thought he could have any woman he wanted, so he forced himself on Chloris. He then fell in love with her and begged forgiveness, which she gave. That act elevated her to divinity, and she became Flora, the Goddess of Flowers and Spring. It is her incarnation as Flora that we see about to throw a flowered robe over the goddess. So we have blood, gore and bad behavior linked to the creation of goddesses. (It’s Greek to me.)

It is interesting to look at what Botticelli did with this commission. Since it would hang in a country villa, it had to be charming, eye-catching and refreshing, as well as decorative as befits one of those expensive tapestries. The main task was to create not a detailed painted replica of a tapestry but something with the decorative feel of a tapestry. It had to be large enough to cover wall space, yet still be a wall hanging not a mural. We are, because of the story, on the sea, and we see the pale green waters with very systematic, stylized white caps. Since this is a story that was to be told in tapestry, which does not have the fluidity of paint, the stylized treatment mimics the way that stories were woven in that other medium. The landscape behind the painting is minimal, again with a simplified design easily achieved in a woven picture, and not with much attention to depth of perspective. A stand of laurel trees on the right makes reference to Lorenzo de Medici (1449-1492), the magnificent patron of the arts and great patron to Botticelli. So we can say Botticelli was a good diplomat as well as a great artist.

The figures in the Birth of Venus seem almost pasted onto the front of the painting rather than integrated in any way with the background. While there is some indication of depth (the distant horizon and the land weaving in and out), frontality is a key element, as is a romanticized beauty. This we see again in Primavera, where the figures are all lined up in the foreground with a heavy stand of fruit trees just behind them. The small space of ground they stand on is almost like a stage, though the ground is painted with strewn flowers, a decorative element that one might see in a tapestry. Though Botticelli’s two paintings are quite elaborate in some ways, they could seem like detailed cartoons for the creation of tapestries. In the Birth of Venus, the figures almost dance, as Zepherus is blowing the waves and Chloris’ flowers, while Venus rides in on her scallop shell, and Flora waves the robe like a flag for the arrival of spring. You can almost hear the trumpets sound. Yet who is the image of this Venus, so pure, so innocent, covering herself modestly with her hair and standing a bit shyly off balance?

Portrait of Simonetta Vespucci as a Nymph by Sandro Botticelli, 1480. Click to magnify.

Well here she is, the face that launched tens of paintings by Botticelli (and others), Simonetta Vespucci, the official “Queen of Beauty,” an honor bestowed upon her by the people of Florence after Giuliano de Medici won a jousting tournament carrying a banner with her image as Pallas Athena, painted by Botticelli, of course. I say, of course, because of all the men who were after Simonetta (who had married into the wealthy Vespucci family when she was 15), Botticelli lived on the same street where she lived, so must have seen her often. When you look at his paintings, whether at a Greek goddess or the Virgin Mary, you see some version of Simonetta. Simonetta’s reign was short, as she died suddenly at the age of 22 in 1476, sending the whole of Florence into shock and grief. For Botticelli, was she just his muse, like Petrarch’s Laura, or was she more than that? Final interesting fact, Simonetta is buried in the Franciscan church Chiesa di Ognissanti, and Botticelli is buried at her feet.

The Birth of Venus is one of the classic beauties of the Renaissance and perhaps modeled on one of the classic beauties of Renaissance Florence. Its fresh seaside environment with a light wind blowing from Zepherus, himself, certainly can lead the mind to think of seafood delicacies and what good thing to drink along with them.

Paintings used here are in Public Domain.

Marjorie Vernelle is an artist, writer, college professor, and traveler. For more see the Pages at ofartandwine.com or her author page at amazon.com and her art at Vernelle Art Boutique vernellestudio.com.

What to Drink with Seafood, Sancerre or Muscadet?

The village and the fields of Sancerre in the eastern reaches of the Loire Valley in France.

This is Sancerre, the town and the vineyards, located on the left bank of the Loire River in the eastern part of the Loire Valley. On the opposite bank, one finds the region famous for Pouilly Fumé and Vouvray, but Sancerre is the home of the eponymous white wine made exclusively from Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Sancerre, the wine, has been described as having a lively acidity, and a flinty citrus-tinged taste, sometimes even a smoked flavor. This unique combination of taste attributes seems a good reflection of the town where the wine was born.

Sancerre, the village, seems bucolic enough, but in fact has a long contrarian history, especially involving resistance movements. During the Wars of Religion in the 1500s, the Huguenots took refuge there. In the French Revolution, those who wanted to restore the monarchy fled to Sancerre. In World War II, it was a command center for the Resistance, so that acidic, flinty, citrus quality seems to be the nature of the place in all things.

When it comes to food, Sancerre goes with most things, from roast chicken or turkey to pork chops to grilled fish like salmon, bass, and trout. It doesn’t seem to have met a vegetable it didn’t like, but goes especially well with asparagus. Fresh goat cheese works nicely, especially little buttons of Crottin de Chavignol or one of my personal favorites, Valençay, which is goat cheese with a smoked outer crust sculpted in the shape of a four-sided tower. For those who love their meats, Sancerre also produces reds and rosés, those exclusively from Pinot Noir grapes. So Sancerre covers the waterfront. Oh, speaking of waterfronts and thereby the sea, many Americans always choose Sancerre to go with seafood, especially oysters. Not a bad choice, but there is a better one.

The Saga of the Melon de Bourgogne Grape

As with many things in France, it all goes back to the Middle Ages. That was when the melon de Bourgogne grape was banished from its original home in eastern France, only to take up residence near the Atlantic close to the city of Nantes. Here its almost salty taste found its way into the recipe for beurre blanc sauce, and its lemon lime fruity notes along with its sea-like saline quality paired it well with the region’s seafood, especially oysters, shrimp, and mussels.

Up until the last twenty years or so, the wine made from the melon de Bourgogne grape, Muscadet, was not much regarded, though I would say those seafood wise old Mediterraneans knew about it and revered its flavor when combined with fruit de mer. It was in Nice more than 20 years ago now, at the Café de Turin, a simple but locally famous seafood place near the Place Garibaldi, where I, hearing what the locals were ordering, followed suit and got my first taste of Muscadet. It was light, light, light, so crisp and so refreshing, this because of its extreme dryness. No better choice for a platter of fruit de mer, especially the oysters, it literally took me on a seafood sea cruise. I actually tried speaking Nizzard, the local dialect of Nice, after an afternoon of seafood and Muscadet.

The Muscadet appellation comes from a region south of Nantes. Technically it is in the Loire region, but geologically its granite underpinnings make it more a part of Brittany than the limestone-based Loire Valley. There are three main Muscadet producing areas: Sevre et Maine, Côteaux de La Loire, and Côtes de Grandlieu. These regions have grown quite studious in developing their growing techniques and treatment of the soil, which has caused Muscadet to rise in public opinion. It is to the point now where people are taking tours looking for gastronomic adventures featuring Muscadet. Here’s one of these adventures in France on mussels and Muscadet, https://foodwineclick.com/2016/03/18/thai-red-curry-mussels-paired-with-muscadet-sevre-et-maine/ And should you really be adventurous, there is Ray Isle’s trip through the American South in “The Awesome Pairing Power of Muscadet.” He pairs it with everything from barbeque to tacos: https://www.foodandwine.com/articles/the-awesome-pairing-power-of-muscadet

So Sancerre or Muscadet, you really can’t go wrong. You can stick with an old standby, Sancerre, or go adventuring with Muscadet. I must mention that the melon de Bourgogne grape is also grown on our Pacific Coast, so check out Cellars Wine Club for both West Coast Wines and International Wines: www.cellarswineclub.com Hmmm, those Thai red curry mussels sound good.

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©marjorie vernelle 2019

Coming Soon on Of Art and Wine: Monet’s Lily Pond and the Last of the Summer Wine

Water Lilly Pond – Green Harmonies by Claude Monet, 1899.

Have you ever seen so many greens? How did Monet create this green harmony? And equally important, what summer wine cooler might you drink while viewing these spectacular shades of green?