Sunday, March 12, 2017

Opening Party: All Roads Lead To Rome Exhibition

Photo: Chronica Domus


In October 2014, I wrote a post about attending the San Francisco Fall Antiques Show and how I was enamored by the jaw-dropping items for sale at Mr. David Weingarten and Ms. Lucia Howard's booth, Piraneseum.  It turns out that Mr. Weingarten had read my post and contacted me to express his thanks for my "generous words and photographs".  Of course, I was only too delighted to give praise where praise was due.

What was not obvious to me back then, as I ogled Piraneseum's covet-worthy offerings, was that the items on view were just a drop in the bucket of the sizable private collection belonging to Mr. Weingarten and Ms. Howard.  It appears that the collection has now attracted the attentions of the SFO Museum, and justifiably so.

Yesterday afternoon, my husband and I spent a very pleasant few hours as guests of Mr. Weingarten and Ms. Howard attending the opening party of the museum's latest exhibition All Roads Lead To Rome, 17th-19th Century Architectural Souvenirs from the collection of Piraneseum. Fittingly, the three vitrines which display the fascinating array of architectural models and Grand Tour souvenirs are located within San Francisco Airport's International Terminal where many of the travelers scurrying by will no doubt continue the long-held tradition of buying mementos and souvenirs from their own travels.

The well-attended opening event of the exhibition was held within San Francisco Airport's Aviation Museum 
Photo: Chronica Domus


Sponsored by the Northern California chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, the event kicked off with a drinks and hors d'oeuvres reception where attendees chit-chatted and mingled. There were several recognizable faces in the crowd, many of those being seasoned supporters of the local arts and antiques scene, architects, and even the Italian Consulate General of San Francisco.  I was particularly delighted to have been introduced to these two.

Chronica Domus
Mr. Tim O'Brien who brilliantly curated today's exhibition, and Ms. Suzanna Allen who so graciously modeled the well-written and sumptuously illustrated exhibition catalog
Photo: Chronica Domus


Chronica Domus
Ms. Susan Doherty's blouse, depicting assorted Roman tableau, was sartorially perfect for the event;
Ms. Doherty is the program chair of the American Decorative Arts Forum in Northern California and I had the pleasure of chatting with her on our shared interest, American Federal and English Regency furniture
Photo: Chronica Domus


Ms. Lucia Howard gave a talk about the artworks on display, which consist of more than seventy pieces focused on Roman monuments and architecture.  This truly is a remarkable collection of Grand Tour souvenirs and specially commissioned pieces which were intended as extravagant gifts. During the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth century, it was all the rage for wealthy young (mainly British) men  to embark on a tour of Europe's cultural centers as part of their education. Many of them delighted in acquiring mementos of their travels which spanned the gamut of modest plaster intaglios, small-scale models of important architectural structures, and even full-blown oil paintings. I was enchanted to see so many capriccio, or fantasy paintings, of ancient monuments included in the exhibition.

Chronica Domus
Panini's Capriccio View of Ancient Roman Monuments (circa 1755) as seen in the lavishly illustrated exhibition catalog
Photo: Chronica Domus


Following Ms. Howard's talk, we were ushered to the main event, the three vitrines chock-full of extraordinary artworks like this:

Chronica Domus
Temple of Vespasian and Titus, circa 1860
Photo: Chronica Domus

and this:

Chronica Domus
The impressively scaled - at forty inches in height - Flaminian Obelisk constructed of antique specimen marbles and gilded metal, circa 1820
Photo: Chronica Domus 

and this:

Chronica Domus
A nineteenth century Carrara marble model of Rome's Navicella, meaning 'little ship', Fountain
Photo: Chronica Domus


An alabaster model of one of the more recognizable buildings of the Roman Empire, The Colosseum, circa 1880
Photo: Chronica Domus


Chronica Domus
Ms. Lucia Howard and her captive audience tour the vitrines
Photo: Chronica Domus


As you can see from the few (poor) photographs that accompany this post, All Roads Lead To Rome is a not-to-be-missed exhibition.  And, for those who wish to view it but are not jet-set bound, you are in luck.  The vitrines are located on Level 3 (pre-security) of San Francisco Airport's International Terminal and can be accessed by the public at large through August 13, 2017.  Please do take the time to peruse this extraordinary private collection of paintings, etchings, architectural models, and other Grand Tour delights which provide a satisfying glimpse of Rome's ancient splendors.

I would like to thank Ms. Lucia Howard and Mr. David Weingarten for so graciously inviting my husband and me along to what was a supremely enjoyable and rather swell opening event in celebration of this must-see exhibition.

Chronica Domus
Ms. Lucia Howard and Mr. David Weingarten
Photo: Chronica Domus


Nota bene: I am neither paid nor do I receive recompense in exchange for applauding products or services within my blog.  I do so because I enjoy them.  If you are a kindred spirit, you too enjoy recommending nice things to fellow good eggs.

24 comments:

  1. What a fabulous exhibition it looks to be! I love, love, love Grand Tour antiquities, and would dearly love to attend. Unfortunately it's a long way from me.... So thank you for your photos of the treasures in the stands CD. It looks to be a wonderful exhibition, and how lucky you were to go to the opening.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Heidi,

      I too have a weakness for grand tour souvenirs so attending this superb exhibition, right on my doorstep, was a treat.

      I've a small collection of grand tour intaglios which I treasure, and a few oils depicting ruins and monuments as a nod to my fascination with this field of collecting.

      Delete
  2. Hello CD, This looks like a marvelous display, and I envy your chance to attend the inaugural events. When I was in Ohio I always pored over the Souvenirs of the Grand Tour auction catalogs, which were filled with these objects. Cork and micro-mosaic were also common materials for these souvenirs.

    Since this display is up until August, I may get a chance to see it if I get home--the flight often goes through SF with a long layover. Thanks for the alert!
    --Jim

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Jim,

      I'm thrilled to read that you'll likely get a chance to visit this amazing exhibition on your layover to San Francisco. It really is breathtakingly beautiful and so very well presented.

      You'll be pleased to learn that micro-mosaics were well represented in All Roads Lead To Rome. I spotted an astonishingly detailed tabletop in one of the cases. If you look very carefully in the last photograph of this post, you will see that Ms. Lucia Howard wore a beautiful micro-mosaic necklace depicting various ancient monuments.

      Delete
  3. You know i would love to go and see but I especially love that there is a mini exhibition in the airport - how welcome it would be to have that at Heathrow other than some more shopping bait of false economy of duty free shopping!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Naomi,

      How right you are about the maelstrom of retail establishments that await those navigating through Heathrow. It's all so crazy there nowadays! I'd much rather enjoy an array of beautiful vitrines filled with interesting objects to pass the time while waiting for one's flight.

      I do hope the exhibition gets an opportunity to be shown at other places as I've never seen anything like it at any museum I've visited, and I'm certain others would enjoy it as much as I did this past Saturday.

      Delete
  4. Thank you for alerting us to this fascinating exhibit. As we will fly into San Francisco this week ( we have already had to change our departure plans due to the looming east coast blizzard ) we will make a point to stop by. Did you see any Blue John stone items?
    Best,
    KL Gaylin

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello KL Gaylin,

      No Blue John here as the mines were in England and the souvenirs and architectural models included in this fine exhibition all originated in Italy.

      I'm so pleased you'll have an opportunity to visit All Roads Lead To Rome. It's a privilege to have to fly to or from an airport with such a cultured atmosphere within its environs. Every airport should have a museum.

      Enjoy your trip.

      Delete
  5. I am wordless. Moire non when the my midnight ramblings take me slowly through the halls of such glory.



    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello racheld,

      Oh, yes, such glory indeed! I've seen several past exhibitions in this space but this remains my favorite of all time.

      Delete
  6. Oh, darn! I was just in SFO recently but before this exhibition took place. I must confess that SFO is my favorite airport as it has interesting exhibits and the best choices in restaurants.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello slf,

      Oh, I'm so sorry to read you just missed this one. I love the fact that SFO is such an inspiring airport to travel to/from, and quite a calming space as compared to the bedlum of other major airports I've traveled through.

      Did you manage to see the transferware exhibit that is ending in a few days, or the airline fashions, both incredible too?

      Delete
  7. Calming is so true! There is even a designated Yoga Room. No, I am afraid I did not know about the transferware exhibit or the airline fashions as I would have enjoyed both. Next time I will make a point of looking for the special exhibits. Don't know how I missed them. I have seen others in the past.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello slf,

      Well then, all the more reason to come back, and soon! Here's a link to the museum's current exhibitions:

      http://www.flysfo.com/museum/exhibitions

      Enjoy!

      Delete
  8. Thankfully the roads leading to the SF Airport Aviation Museum were less irksome than those recent jaunts to Tahoe. Ms Doherty's Roman blouse is quite deserving of high praise.
    My dear CD, I'll bet you are equally valued as guest as charming hostess.

    Mr. Weingarten looks as if Mister CD has just offered him a lift home.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello GSL,

      This was certainly a road I would wish to travel upon many times. The exhibition was phenomenal, as was Ms. Doherty's satorial choice for the event. Such fun!

      Delete
  9. Thank you so much, Chronica Domus, for the wonderful writeup of Lucia and David's extraordinary collection and for mentioning the Northern California Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art. Www.classicist-NoCal.org Lucia has been a longtime member and supporter of the ICAA and her collection is a rare treasure in the Bay Area. We hope to see you at our other events and again at the SF Fall Antiques Show in October! Brava!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Suzanne Tucker,

      Thank you so much for dropping by and leaving a comment. I would imagine Lucia and David's fine collection is a rare treasure far beyond the Bay Area and certainly deserves the accolades it is receiving. I feel privileged to have seen just a fraction of it at the exhibition.

      And, yes, I hope to attend other such events in the not-too-distant future where I look forward to meeting you.

      Delete
  10. Splendid stuff - I specially like the marble boat. And the Flaminian Obelisk - ah! I suspect every early 19th century duke would have coveted an obelisk like this...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Jenny Woolf,

      Splendid it all was! There were so many other wonderful pieces that I failed to photograph, but thank gawd I can ogle the marvelous exhibition catalog at leisure in the comfort of my own home.

      Delete
  11. Yes, this was an exhibit not to be missed. I have seen many of Lucia & David's exhibitions and this is the best yet. I have been to their home and seen these artifacts all in one room...but to be displayed in this wonderful fashion and venue...I was again so inspired and excited to be a collector of any sort..What a fabulous venue and exhibit...I am again awakened and ready for the hunt..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Anonymous,

      How fortunate to have had the pleasure of not only viewing past exhibits of Lucia and David's fine collection but to have visited their home too. I can only imagine how breathtaking it must all be under one roof.

      Thank you for your comment and I do hope you come by again.

      Delete
  12. Can you tell me where I can purchase the catalog?

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Anonymous,

      The catalog was given to those attending the event and I do not believe it is for sale per se. However, if you'd care to send me an email with your details (chronicadomus@gmail.com), I could pass them along to the exhibition's curator and see if he can help.

      Delete

Please do leave a comment as I enjoy the dialogue with my readership, thank you.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...