Naked maidens, snarling gargoyles, screaming faces, writhing snakes, flying dragons, prancing peacocks, and heroic gods and goddesses: does this sound like a recipe for a fantasy novel? Continue reading
Tag Archives: Art Nouveau
A Gem and a Gym: Bratislava’s Art Nouveau
On a crisp Fall day with clear, azure skies it’s hard to take a bad photo – but I’m having no luck. It’s “Blue on Blue.” My subject seems to blend right into the sky and nearly disappear – except for the white icing and sparkly bits. Continue reading
Rockin’ the Rhinos Since 1903: Kyiv’s Chimera House
Whether by design or default, our homes reflect a good deal about our personalities. But what does a 6-story house covered with rhinos, elephants, frogs, catfish, lizards, stags, mermaids, and a snake hanging down like a scaly drain pipe say about the owner? Continue reading
Helsinki Central Station: An Art Nouveau Tour de Force
You gotta love big, buff guys sportin’ pageboys and holding glowing globes. I mean, really. And you’ll find these stoic, Prince Valiant look-alikes standing guard in front of Helsinki’s Central Railway Station. Continue reading
Beguiling Baltic Doors: What’s the Message?
We’ve always been fascinated by doorways and what they have to say. It doesn’t take an architect or etymologist to know that the facade is the face of a building, and if this is so, then the door can be the beguiling lipstick that enchants visitors. Continue reading
This is Serbia
Smells are the first things that strike you. Food is revered, sausage is a delicacy, and ajvar is a culinary delight to be embraced. The scent of cigarette smoke pervades the air. This is Serbia. Continue reading
Upstarts and Ingrates: Art Nouveau in Subotica, Serbia
From fashion to furniture, houses to hair styles, every generation knows exactly what it finds attractive. And then the next-generation ingrates arrive on the scene to scoff at bygone trends, calling them old-fashioned and outdated relics. Continue reading