I see the last post here was over 4 years ago – and those 4 years were, um, colourful, and even more eventful than the previous 4…not even counting the pandemic. I think we’ll skip the recap 🙁 Since moving to my little crooked house in Arnprior in February 2022 (fondly referred to as the money pit most days), renovations have been aimed at getting one room at a time liveable, and my pictures out of boxes and onto the walls.

 herever I’ve lived, there have been walls full of art and photos and interesting objects in my home. Sometimes it’s a “Rogues’ Gallery” made up of family photos and objects organized chronologically going up (or down?) the stairs. There are various themed collections: prints, drawings, and engravings – all of trees, a wall of nautically themed oil paintings and watercolours. On a shelf in the bedroom there’s a bayonet, and a tiny civil war doll. So far, that’s just weird but I love them both (and who doesn’t want their great aunt’s bayonet in the bedroom?)

My favourite display at home is a Salon style hanging of mostly original works that I fondly refer to as my Wall of Ladies. The works here are mostly connected by the fact that I love them or they mean something to me. They are primarily original works, some by me but most are not. I noticed one day they were mostly women, and weirdly most of the ladies were posed facing in the same direction – to their left (that right there is a whole other discussion). They’re beautiful and they mean a lot – they are not there as mere decoration. And hey, it’s my home, not a gallery…so it’s still the best place to nap after a big meal.

alon style picture hanging is a method that comes from the grand Salons (art exhibitions) of Paris; paintings were hung floor to ceiling, covering every inch of space. These exhibits began at the Louvre in the 1670s, and became known as “Salons” after the room where the original exhibitions were held. The Paris Art Salon (usually an annual exhibit) would become the most important art event in Europe, becoming more conservative as it grew, spawning others who wanted to regain their freedom of expression.

Although the Paris Salons of the 18th and 19th century are most significant from an art historical view, their popular emergence may in part be due to Italian Salons of the 15th century. Occurring all over Europe, it was as early as the 1450s in Italy when aristocratic women would host gatherings attended by artists, poets, musicians, philosophers and those who wanted to share their ideas. Unsupervised and free of the influence of the church or politicians these salons were truly the “age of conversation”.

oday in my tiny living room there is no organized exhibition of artwork from the Académie des Beaux-Arts and it is not filled with a artists and philosophers and curious nobles from the age of conversation (although there’s a good chance I may believe I am being profound at 2 a.m. after enough wine). But, it is warm and welcoming and encourages lengthy visits and conversation after dinner…Everyone should have at least one salon or gallery wall. Start with something you love….add something that makes you smile. Put in plenty of original artwork…it can be tiny, or it can be BIG. Take a risk, and don’t be chicken when it comes to frames – they can make or break both your artwork and the display, and some are fabulous on their own. Make rooms in your home a reflection of you and your life, not someone else’s.

nd THAT was my sorry attempt to tie salon style hanging to….Italy, and Italian frames 🙂 I will be traveling to Italy this August – Thing One will be getting married in Florence. We each have different things on our bucket lists, and only a couple of weeks to see some and enjoy the wedding festivities. I’ve been searching for somewhere to see antique or historical frames ( 35 or 40 years as a framer and a life as an artist does this to you). Sor far I’ve lined up one studio which is just a few blocks from our b’n’b http://www.cornicimaselli.com/

IN THE MEANTIME…While working on some ideas to show work online I’ve been messing around with images from my portfolio, and created a little virtual salon wall – drawings of people, pets, and places. See? You can do it. (Click the image for a larger version)

Next post I will fill in details about the art and the frames – all Italian, from the 15th through 18th centuries.

Ciao ragazzi, alla prossima!

Nota Bene: the initial caps appearing in the story are made from hand drawn letters in the “Italian Renaissance Alphabet” in the 1931 edition of the Studio Handbook, by Samuel Welo, one of my favourite little art books. Nota Bene duo: I do not speak a word of Italian.