Saturday, August 27, 2005
Today's Trip Pic
One of the most distinctive attributes of the Romanov constructions of St. Petersburg is the use some very colorful minerals. Most notably they use the very green malachite and the very blue lapis. I was unable to capture the real color of the lapis, but I was able to get some malachite. It's a lovely mineral, and as you can imagine, anyone who likes the bright colors of comics like I do would like these bright colors as well.
This is a vase that sits in the Hermitage - one of many, many. Anyplace it is used, as lapis, it is used as a facing material, applied to some underlying structure as a mosiac. I wish I knew the precise technique because unlike picture mosaics, the effect is, as you can see, seamless and vein patterns look entirely natural.
I like it especially when used, not on an object, but as a part of a structure. What you see here is the iconostasis of St. Isaac Cathedral. Those columns use both malachite and lapis to extraordinary effect. Most Orthodox churches I have been to are dark places, with muted colors and while lovely, they lay on one like a burden. Not so St Isaac's. These bright colors and the many windows make the place light and airy.
This is a close up of the columns that gives you a better idea of the effect, what is does not illustrate is the goldleaf caps on the columns which sets off the color to maximal effect.When we recently remodeled the house, I considered trying to imitate this, but that much color demands rooms far bigger than our little home can provide. Once again. "It's good to be the Tsar."
