in this random rambling thread we post random pictures

[Gargoyle]

Quote: Just the hands alone....

Back then the owners of the carving studios would say to the carvers: "I give you the work. God gives you the time". In otherwords, the boss was saying "work slower, take all the time you need".

Can you imagine anyone running a business with that attitude today?

 

[NickyKnack]

Just the hands alone....

Back then the owners of the carving studios would say to the carvers: "I give you the work. God gives you the time".  In otherwords, the boss was saying "work slower, take all the time you need".

Can you imagine anyone running a business with that attitude today?

Absolutely not. It's a carbon copy world. It's all about quantity, not quality. Then when there's an original artwork, they complain about the price. The truly sad part about most of the ancient sculptures, the artists names are lost forever in the dust of time.

 

[drumstick diva]

Gargoyle could do it

 

[Gargoyle]

Also from the cemetery in Viareggio, province of Lucca, Tuscany, Italy. (half hour north of Pisa, half hour south of the marble quarries of Carrara)

 

[NickyKnack]

Love that effect with the sun. It adds a halo quality to the angel.

 

[Gargoyle]

Love that effect with the sun. It adds a halo quality to the angel.

Shooting directly into the sun, I knew it had potential for a good shot, but I took a number of exposures hoping to catch it.

Heres another unusual one from the same cemetery, Viareggio, Italy. Died during the war, motorcycle hit by a military truck.

 

[Lothiriel]

Heather was that a tiger swallowtail? Haven't seen one in ages. In fact don't see many butterflies at all. Only the common cabbage butterflies.

Yep! We have a lot of them around here.

 

[Bunnylady]

Quote: I keep looking at those hands, at the astonishingly detailed (and correct) anatomy of flesh and bone, and I keep thinking, "that's stone . . . ." It seems almost tragic to leave it out in the weather.

 

[Gargoyle]

I keep looking at those hands, at the astonishingly detailed (and correct) anatomy of flesh and bone, and I keep thinking, "that's stone . . . ." It seems almost tragic to leave it out in the weather.

Fortunately the weather is pretty mild there, although the humidity does cause problems with mildew and moss growing on the stone. They really need a mild cleaning every 20 or 30 years.

Normally if you use stone in the environment near where it was quarried, it does well. It's already been in that local for a few hundred million years before being quarried...
However, when you move it to a very different climate (for example, using stone from mild climates, like Italian marble or French or Texas limestone, in a severe climate like we have in Chicago) it can start having problems after a few dozen years.

Granite is a different case- many of the granites are incredibly durable, and withstand most any climate.

 

[drumstick diva]

Gargoyle is granite used predominantly in the Chicago area(climate)?

I love those Italian statues - wonder how many man(woman) hours it takes to create such masterpieces. I suppose an ill timed sneeze can cause major damage. Just awesome that not only do they need the hands of a master but, also the artistic ability and vision to complete each work.


I will stick with the kids colored clay or play doh.