Le feu sacré

Ozias Leduc source

I had arrived at the country house on the night of Friday the 13th, where in general we dine by candle light. It had been a fairly long drive with some heavy traffic where it wasn't expected. But we were happy to arrive, light the fires and begin a peaceful weekend. We didn't know what had happened back in Paris. Then just before going to bed, my worried sister called from the US thinking we were still at the apartment.

Sometimes we know there is far too much said of tragedy in the media - classic and social - and our minutes of silence could easily be multiplied by 1000.  Yet how is it possible to speak again of art, of beauty, fabrics, decoration and other privileged preoccupations in a blog such as mine without aknowledging our mourning after the barbarous acts of terror in our beloved Paris,
in our beloved world ?

The right words lack before the gravity of this situation 

but words are the first things we have at our disposition to find unity. And because in communicating we reinforce our courage, I have borrowed these from Edmond Rostand's proud Chantecler, 

C’est la nuit qu’il est beau de croire à la lumière.

It's at night that faith in the light is admirable.

Autumn leaves me happy

photo of an unsigned painting; Le style et la matière

The season is still green, but the gold is coming along crisply. 

I went out in search of scenes like the one in my painting last week in the country... 

photo: Le style et la matière

where a sun low-hung plays among the leaves and shadows stretch out as days get shorter.

It's a time for long walks in the counryside, gathering chestnuts and mushrooms then
huddling around the fire. Simple things.

photo: Le style et la matière

I love the colors of Fall, probably more than in all the other seasons.
So glad I don't have to choose though.

photo: Le style et la matière

Toulouse -Lautrec called autumn "winter's spring."

Like a spider on the ceiling

photo: Le style et la matière

Seen in a waiting room for guided tours at the château of Versailles. 

Did that just happen - or did the designer do it on purpose? The spider is the very symbol of waiting. Happily, not one visitor was wrapped up as a meal before, during or after the tour.

Man Ray

No arachnophobe, but I'm not always completely relaxed around these creatures. 

nusch eluard par man ray

It's largely a question of their size, pilosity and proximity. 

late Victorian brooch from Pinterest

chanel brooch

monster Spider, sometimes called Maman by Louise Bourgeois
source

I can nonetheless appreciate what their form inspires in art 

Gallé vase Pinterest

Woodcut illustrations by GW Dijsselhoffrom
BibliOdyssey

Victorian purse Pinterest

Gareth Pugh

and very definitely, their own woven art form and its imitations.

black sprite flowers

There are spider-like flowers

golden orb spider posing as a flower

and flower-like spiders.

Odilon Redon

What are you, my friend?

odilon redon

"Why, just that, your friend," she grinned.

Bruno Freire ignat

Have you seen?

There seems to be a greater appreciation

Erik Griffioen Ragno

of arachnian geometry recently -

Romain Duclos Mini Ragno

and of the intricacies

© Studio Bouroullec
lighting in the escalier Gabriel
palais de Versailles

and ingenious harmony of their webs.

Friend or foe, it's their season now. They come in to warm their legs.
Everyone tells me that a house with spiders is a healthy house.
Shouldn't we celebrate?!


Pinterest photos here