Follow Up Friday
A little summary of the week that’s just been!
Including art history news, DIY tips, exhibition & literature reviews, auction announcements, etc.
Email me with your ideas. I’d love to hear from you.
1. Popping to the shops with Chanel
During Paris Fashion week, luxury fashion house Chanel’s set design was a little more familiar to the masses. Karl Lagerfield managed to take the models off the catwalk and place them in a perfectly curated supermarket. Everything was branded with the fashion house’s signature CC logo and after the ladies strutted their stuff, guests pillaged the shelves. Even pop star Rihanna was seen helping herself to the goods. Check out coverage of the event here.
2. Splitting Hares in the Art Newspaper
Martin Bailey reports on the exhibition of similar pictures that were long thought to be by the same artist. Two versions of Dürer’s Hare are emerging at the same time, but in fact only one of them is the real thing. For more than four centuries, two watercolours have each been regarded as an original by Dürer at different times. One is going on exhibition at the Albertina (pictured left) today, the other – actually by Hans Hoffman will go on the block at Bremen-based Neuse Galerie for around €1m.
Right from the start, Dürer’s Hare, 1502, was the stuff of legend. One source claimed that the artist had saved the animal during a flood, another that he had modelled his drawing on a cat. A more likely story relates to Dürer’s meeting with Giovanni Bellini in Venice, when the Italian master asked to see the special brush he had used to paint the fine detail of the animal. Dürer offered Bellini several quite ordinary brushes asking him to take his pick; it was Dürer’s skill, not equipment, which accounted for his success.
Read more about the pair on the Art Newspaper website by clicking here.
3. Woodson Bailey prints now available online
Grace, over at Design*Sponge has been swooning over photographer Ashley Woodson Bailey’s floral masterpieces and her new site and online shop went live on Wednesday. Check it out here. Her prints are stunning and would make lovely gifts (hint, hint). Divided into light and dark they are priced very reasonably – starting at $90 USD.
4. Ombré cake to celebrate the luck of the Irish
Never short on entertaining ideas, Emily Schuman from cupcakes & cashmere has created a recipe for a very classy cake for a notoriously not so classy holiday. St Patrick’s Day is celebrated this Monday by the Irish, those of Irish decent, and the wannabes that just want to revel. Need something to wash down all that cake stodge? Check out Emily’s recipe for homemade McDonald’s Shamrock Shakes here. This is far better than the pancakes and green beer we used to fête with in college.
5. Dooce collaborates with Quarterly
Heather Armstrong has been working with Quarterly – a site that provides a way to connect with the people you follow and find interesting. Everyone spends so much time online now, this was created to foster tangible interactions with interesting people in the real world. It’s like a magazine – but instead of receiving words on a page, subscribers receive actual items that tell a story that is crafted by a curator of choice. Heather’s packages include a signed letter, as well as themed gifts. This month it included writing materials, which she blogged about here. Check out what she’s included in past subscriptions or you can register for $50 USD by clicking here. Heather’s blog, dooce.com is definitely worth a visit in itself. She is one of the funniest people on the internet.
