Italy | The Daily Norm

Jan 24

Natale Italiano | Rome – A photographic miscellany

For a city whose every street and structure is punctuated with elaborate statues, architectural flourishes and ancient ruins, Rome is never short on providing photographers and artists alike with ripe inspiration to get their artistic juices flowing. And while passing the Christmas season in Rome meant that I was perhaps not as prolific in the photography stakes as I might otherwise have been, I still look upon this little miscellany of Rome shots which I collected together during that recent trip.

These photos do not aim to expose the most commonplace tourist spots of Rome in all of their magnificent glory, but aims instead to focus in on the smaller details which make those places great, or which might otherwise be missed by the visitor in that moment of complete overwhelming shock at the brilliance of the sights before them. For example, when you are faced with the magnificent Trevi Fountain, you tend to concentrate on the whole flowing mass of this mammoth fountain which appears collectively like a living grotto literally metamorphing from the façade of a baroque palace. However one often misses the fine details of the many sculptures which form the whole, something which these photos attempt to rectify. Likewise my photos of the pantheon concentrate not so much on the brilliant whole, but on the details of the iron door and that incredible roof.

Also amongst these shots are the small features of Rome which make the city such a joy to explore – the cobbled pavements whose monotony is crossed with sunshine and shadows; jazz bands playing upbeat tunes in the Piazza della Rotunda; yellow ochre roman ruins in and around the Forum; and the little birds whose visit to sidewalk cafes is always a pleasure to bestow.

I give you Rome – in photos.

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2014 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Jan 23

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Natale Italiano | Rome – Day 3: The Mastery of Bernini

Boxing day was officially renamed “Bernini Day” on 26th December of last year, as we set about discovering the works of this genius which literally pepper the city of Rome with as much generosity as London is filled with red telephone boxes. Starting off with coffee opposite our beloved Pantheon in the Piazza della Rotunda, we only had to walk mere metres past the stunning Roman Temple to the Piazza della Minerva to see Bernini’s rather grand elephant sculpture, showing very little of the strain of the ancient Egyptian obelisk which it carries on its back. Meanwhile, a short walk to the West of the Pantheon took us to the even more spectacular Piazza Navona, where of course that incredible Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers) by Bernini lords magnificently over the centre of the not so square Square. That incredible gushing fountain, which appears to bring the gods of the rivers to life before one’s very eyes, also carries at its centre an ancient obelisk, albeit that this time the obelisk is far grander, and one of the most impressible of the 13 major obelisks featured in Rome’s most prominent piazzas (although I understand that this once hails from ancient Rome, rather than ancient Egypt).

Minerva and Navona – two sights of Bernini’s mastery with marble

All this Bernini sightseeing had given us a taste for something a little more appetising to set our sights upon, and the proximity of the bustling Campo de’ Fiore meant lunch was not far at hand. The Campo, which translates as “field of flowers” is one of my favourite spots in Rome, particularly in the warmer weather when the encircling buildings are soaked with sunshine, and in the square below, market stalls selling the freshest produce and flowers burst into life. On this Boxing (sorry, Bernini) Day, the Campo was relatively quiet, but its restaurants happily open for business – the crispy Pizza with speck and zucchini which followed our entry into one such establishment was truly a delight worthy of this food-lover’s paradise.

Back to business in the afternoon, and after a sad farewell to my partner’s dearest Mama, we took advantage of the last dying hours of Roman light to make a visit to another of Bernini’s renowned masterpieces, The Ecstasy of Santa Teresa, contained within the Cornaro chapel of the Santa Maria della Vittoria. This stunning sculpture, which appears to show the figures of St Teresa and an angel floating on clouds made of marble, depicts an episode in the life of Teresa of Avila, a mystical cloistered Discalced Carmelite nun, who described a visitation by an angel who appeared to stab her with a golden spear filling her with the pain and ecstasy of god’s love. Lit from above by a little hidden window which reflects off the gilded stucco rays behind the sculptures, this work is truly a masterpiece of Bernini’s oeuvre, and perhaps the most theatrical of all his works.

For our final foray into the masterpieces of this genius of marble, we went to see Bernini’s mastery, not over sculpture, but over architecture. Yes, after a final Roman dinner in the atmospheric Ristorante Babette in the Via Margutta, we headed to a place whose structure is indebted to the genius of Bernini – St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. This central seat of Catholicism revels in the theatre of religious power and position, and for any visitor walking along the Via della Conciliazione towards St Peter’s imposing façade, there can be no doubting the monumental aspect of this approach. However, surely the most imposing and dramatic feature is the huge colonnaded piazza in front of St Peter’s, a piazza which provides ample space for all the visiting faithful, and further underlines the scale and magnitude of this centre of the Catholic Church. And who was responsible for the architectural design of the palazzo with its vast double rowed colonnades? Why Bernini, of course.

Nighttime walk to Vatican City

And with that monumental encounter with one of Bernini’s final masterpieces, we ended our last full day in the magnificent city of Rome, a city which provided us with such a rich festive experience, and whose streets and squares continued to buzz, despite the passing of the Christmas season. The following day, we would pack up our bags (and my little pop up Christmas tree) once again, and head further South – to Napoli.

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2014 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Jan 20

Natale Italiano | Rome – Day 1: Arrival by sunset

We arrived in Rome as the sun was setting behind Vatican city; the golden yellow and deepening tangerine skies casting a stunning glow behind the silhouette of St Peter’s and the domes and cupolas of ancient Rome. Our arrival to the city amongst the sun’s warm luminescence which gilded all of Rome with a hopeful uplifting lustre, was the happy ending to a transit as smooth as journeys can be – starting out by boat from the Rialto Bridge in Venice, out across a misty lagoon to the Marco Polo airport and onwards onto a swift flight down to Rome Fiumicino and a train into Stazione Termini – the happiest of starts to the second chapter of our festive Italian adventure.

Thrilled to be so swiftly and comfortably installed into the perfectly located Hotel Babuino 181, only minutes from the Spanish Steps, we left unpacking for later in our eagerness to run out onto the cobbled streets of Rome to enjoy the last rays of sun that the day was providing. After all, we had been three days in Venice with not a ray of sun to be seen, such was the density of mist which shrouded the city. But in Rome, all seemed alive under the vibrant blue skies of a winter’s afternoon sundown – hard to believe that this was Christmas Eve. For us it felt like the dying hours of a Spring day, a thought which could not escape us as we sat, but minutes later, upon the terrace of a ritzy hotel bar adjacent to the top of the Spanish steps, watching the seemingly odd combination of sunshine and vibrant mediterranean colours, with the Christmas tree which was installed onto the centre of the steps.

Dying hours of Roman sunshine

People watching on the sun-drenched Spanish steps

After indulging in the ultimate exercise of people watching in this, the classiest of Roman quarters, with a glass of prosecco in hand and a camera in the other, we headed down into the bustling streets of a Rome but hours before the feast of Christmas. In the chic shopping streets off the Via del Corso, the excitement of Christmas Eve as families and friends scuttered energetically from shop to shop was tangible, and in the nearby Piazza del Popolo, crowds hung around the grand obelisk at its centre, full of the spirit of the holiday season. For us, having a few hours spare before a dinner reservation, we headed across the square to Santa Maria del Popolo to accomplish something which I had intended to carry out when I was last in the city in 2010 but had been thwarted by renovations – to see the two stunning works by Caravaggio which can be found in a small side chapel in this otherwise innocuous church.

Like most of Caravaggio’s works, these two: the Conversion of St Paul and the Crucifixion of St Peter are utterly stunning works; Caravaggio’s exercise of chiaroscuro as dramatic as ever, while the skillful foreshortening of St Paul falling out towards us and St Peter shown foreshortened on the cross allowing audiences to become utterly absorbed in the paintings – that is at least when we could see them – for this being Rome, we had to insert a coin in a light box in order to have the otherwise shadowed works lit for all of a minute (and us being us, we had no coins on us – meaning that we had to wait for some other earnest Caravaggio fan to come along and supply lighting on our behalf…).

Caravaggio’s Popolo masterpieces

Natale Italiano | Venice – A photographic miscellany

From rose-tinted street lamps and highly-glossed gondolas, to gilded, feathered and hand-painted masks and the much weathered but still glorious colonnades of the Piazza San Marco; this is an album of miscellaneous photos of Venice captured on my recent travels, and with which I shall bid adieu to my tales of Venice on this blog. But despite my finding no better collective title for this set than “miscellaneous”, they are nonetheless bound by one harmonious element: the glory of La Serenissima herself. Venice: City of bridges, of masks, of canals; City of the winged lion, of gilding and of glass. It’s a city whose beauty transfers so easily to all forms of artistic expression. And in photography, it is possible to capture the mood and elegance of the city whatever the weather.

Because every turn of every corner in Venice is like some kind of stroll into wonderland, almost like a make-believe theme park manufactured to pleasure the senses rather than fulfil any kind of logical purpose, there were opportunities to take photographs almost every second of our time on the island city. And so limiting my set of some 1,300 photos down to a featured few has been both a challenge and a delight. But of those which made the cut, I think a sense of the unique mysticism of the city shines through, not only in the deeply atmospheric shots of the lagoon shrouded in mist and the ancient artefacts which pepper the city, but also in the glimpses of those enigmatic masks, calmly gliding gondolas, and the neglected facades of once grand buildings whose every crack and rupture tells a hundred stories of the abundantly rich and decadent history of this city.

I give you Venice: in photographs

See you soon… in Rome!

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2014 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Jan 10

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Venice: My paintings (Part 2) – Ripples

No artist can visit Venice and not be inspired. By the mist which clings so densely to its cold canals in the winter time, and the sun which shines upon the city with such alacrity in summer; by the classic Venetian gothic architecture which graces its canal-side palazzos, and the astounding masterpieces of art history which adorn the insides of those residences and their neighbouring churches alike; and by the elegance which resides at the core of Venetian values as manifested in the masquerade balls, the carnevale, and the most sophisticated of all modes of transportation: the gondola. But above all things, as yesterday’s photography focus demonstrated, no artist can fail to be inspired by the watery reflections which provide a unique, second facet to the city.

Back in around 2007, when I made a short weekend visit to the city, I came back loaded with ideas of what I wanted to paint. On Monday, I shared with you two of the paintings I created at that time, focusing mainly on the Grand Canal and the palazzos which neighbour it. Today however, it’s time for those rippled waters to take centre stage, as I share two further paintings from that brief 2007 collection, both of these focusing not so much on the city itself, but on its rippled reflection in water.

Venice II (2007 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, oil on canvas)

Venice IV (2007 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, oil on canvas)

Venice II is almost a complete reflection, with only the mere hint of the end of a gondola representing the real world above water; while Venice IV focuses a bit more on the lavish paintwork which adorns so many gondolas and the kind of narrow canal “street” which is so characteristic of the city.

There’s one more Venice 2007 painting to share with you, and then it’s surely time to paint something new…? See you next time.

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. For more information on the work of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, head to his art website at www.delacy-brown.com

Jan 9

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Natale Italiano | Venice – Photography Focus: Ripples

I’ve always loved the effect of water. The way the light shines through it, and on it; the way still water reflects perfectly like a mirror, and conversely the way moving water distorts an image into its own abstract reimagining. My love for the effect of water has always translated into both my art (see my post tomorrow) and my photography so much so that I’ll always remember my friend, Mackenna, lovingly taunting me every time we crossed one of the breathtaking bridges in Paris where upon, almost as automatically as one takes a pause to consider the beauty of the Seine, I would snatch out my camera and start snapping away at the effect of the illuminated bridges reflecting in the water below.

It will come as little surprise then that for me, Venice is like some kind of quasi-orgasmic over-abundant celebration of rippled reflection; a city so spectacular that they managed to build it twice – once in reality, and once in reflection. A city whose very soul is the water which laps around its foundations and without which it would be a city stripped of half the beauty that it manifests to such worldwide renown.

When you get Venice on a sunny day, those delicate terracottas, pungent oranges and sunny yellows of its buildings reflect to startling effect in its waters against the blue sky beyond. When we were in Venice however, mist largely predominated. This means that my photographic homage to the watery wonders of the city is a more sedate, more muted affair. Nonetheless, there can be no doubting the very transient beauty which nevertheless resides in those photos of ripples and movement through Venice’s canals.

But this post is not just about the ripples. Here too I bring you some of my favourite shots of Venice’s most quaint canals; the characteristic stripy wooden poles which emerge out of the water like a candy-cane forest; and of course the gondolas whose presence is as much an integral element of Venice’s waters as the ravens are to the Tower of London.

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2014 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Jan 8

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Natale Italiano | Venice – Day 2: All that glitters is Venetian gold

A London tourist knows when he is abroad when he awakes, not to the ear-splitting wail of a police siren, but to the tolling bells ringing out from old renaissance bell towers, their calming peal harmonious to the ears, especially when, in Venice, there is no nearby traffic to otherwise preclude the passage of that early-morning melody. And perhaps it is also because we are so used to the animated streets of London that the comparative silence of Venice’s tranquil canals struck such a chord on this misty bright first morning, when the only sounds were the gentle lapping of waters when a lonely gondola passed by.

Now that’s a view to wake up to…

That we should rise, with some degree of Casanovian elegance, in our sumptuous hotel room lined with fabric wall coverings of golden thread, under a bed spread which reflected this glory with its own ample gold thread-count kick-started what was to become something of a theme to the day, if not to the whole Venice trip: Glorious and Golden. For all its decay, the neglected paint work, the stagnant waters, and the dirt-ridden façade of the Piazza San Marco’s colonnaded palazzos, Venice is, at its heart, a city of insuperable decadence, glamour and sophistication. And just in case the point could not be made obvious from the lavish boutiques, the jewel-covered masks and the elaborate architecture, one building more than any other shouts out glamour more than any other: from its richly coloured marble façade right up to its astonishing golden cupolas. The Basilica San Marco. And it was to this beating heart of Venice’s identity that we headed first, as we set out on a new day ambling amongst the jewels of the Queen of the Adriatic.

The Basilica’s marble-clad exterior

Ever since its first construction in the 9th century to commemorate the arrival in Venice of the (allegedly) stolen remains of St Mark, this magnificent cathedral, prime example of the Byzantine style of architecture, has been at the heart of the city. Adorned with 8000m squared of golden mosaics, and jewels and treasures aplenty collected from across the world in the aftermath of Venice’s many historical conquests, the Basilica is not just a symbol of religious devotion, but also historical prowess. Above all things, it is a temple of the utmost opulence. When visitors first enter, you can literally hear the little eruptions of “wow” escaping from tourists’ mouths as their astonishment is articulated at a first glimpse of this heavenly space.

For me, with its expanse of paradisal golden cupolas glimmering and sparkling across every curve and corner of the cathedral’s vast ceiling, Saint Mark’s is without a doubt the most stunning church in all the world. And while photo taking was banned, Dominik and I naturally ignored this, surreptitiously taking photos, largely from cameras wrapped up in our scarves (before we became a bit more brazen in our approach). So while gazing at the incredible majesty of the Basilica as represented in these photos, don’t forget the extra effort we had to go to in order to bring them to you!

…but the real treasure is inside

Having become almost tongue-twisted with awe in the Basilica, we spent the rest of the morning largely ambling around Venice’s superfluity of canals and side streets, shop-lined passages and piazzas – for what greater joy is there than to get lost in Venice. And while it would be difficult to beat the splendour of St Mark’s, even in that pursuit we could not help but be wowed by the opulence which scatters its luxurious bounty all over the city: Gondolas with their highly ornamented damask seating fringed with golden unicorns and lions glided elegantly down canals and under bridges; in the shops, windows came alive with glinting gold masks and sparkling glass Christmas trees; and lining canals and cobbled streets, Venice’s palazzos and houses, while often tired and ageing, retain the unique grace and characteristic elegance which has made them famous throughout the world.

All that glitters is Venetian gold…

Natale Italiano | Venice – Day 1: The Arrival

There is something unquestionably unique about arriving in Venice, the Floating City of Italy. The city’s swish mainland airport, surrounded by its main roads and cars, is the last reference to the real world you will have. Leaving the airport behind, and walking left along a progressively foggy winding road, you head towards a mode of transportation far more suited to transporting visitors to the City whose very foundations are forged in partnership with water: a boat. Taking the step from firm ground onto the bobbing wooden floor of a water bus, attempting to balance luggage with one hand, and steadying yourself with the other, suddenly the ordinary becomes a little more extraordinary, as the next stage of the journey to Venice makes its progress across water. And this is when it hits you – that Venice is indeed no ordinary place; cut off from reality not just because of the very unique look and feel to the city, but because stranded out in water, it is literally an island separated from the rest of the world. This sense of separation and mystery increases as the journey by boat steadily increases in length, as the boat heads further and further into the thick mists of the lagoon until suddenly, without so much as a warning, the elegant facades of palazzos, and the stripy gold-fringed finish of poles for tying boats begins.

A water bus into Venice

This was how we arrived into Venice; our senses gradually reprogrammed so that by the time we arrived into the city, we knew that we were coming upon something special; a conclusion which cannot have been doubted when the boat took us into Venice’s heart via the Grand Canal, and before us the glittering lights of the bustling Rialto Bridge met our line of vision. Oh the beautiful Serenissima – Queen of the Adriatic. Is it any surprise that so many visitors have fallen under your spell, ensnared by your unquestionable beauty from palazzo to palazzo, bridge to bridge?

First views of Venice – the Rialto and the Grand Canal

Stepping off the water bus just after the Rialto bridge, we could still feel the bobbing and rocking motion of the boat as we took our first steps on land, before gradually realising that we were on firm ground again, albeit ground with the most stunning views of the Grand Canal and of all the little shopping streets and side canals which run off it. Like being in a film, we wound our way through those small streets and across tiny bridges in search of our hotel, all the while pausing only to close our mouths which would otherwise hang open in astonishment. Was a city ever as beautiful as this?

Inside the Aqua Palace Hotel

Upon arriving at our hotel, the splendid Aqua Palace Hotel, we were afforded yet further opportunity to gaze in wonder at this truly incredible city – being given, as we were, a superb room with not one, not two, but three windows looking directly onto the Guerra canal which surrounds the hotel. Barely able to comprehend the beauty of what lay beyond our windows, we managed to stagger away from those windows and out into the city, heading first and foremost to the place where any visit to Venice must begin – the Piazza San Marco. The proximity of our hotel meant that this joy was not long awaited, and within minutes, the staggering view of the onion shaped roofs of Saint Mark’s Basilica rose into sight, along with its campanile whose roof was already shrouded in the mysterious mist which had enveloped its way around the city.

The Piazza San Marco

Where to next? Why the Caffe Florian of course which, having opened its doors in 1720, is a contender for being one of the world’s oldest cafes and which has continued to woo visitors and locals alike in all of the years which have since passed. With its elaborate gilded and frescoed interior, together with its cute little corner seats nestled next to the window with a colonnaded view over Saint Mark’s Square, Florian’s is truly the best place to begin a trip to Venice – something we clinked our glasses to there an then; a glass of prosecco on one side, and a glass of Venetian Valpolicella on the other.

Florian’s

From there, time before dinner afforded us ample opportunity to stroll around and acquaint ourselves with the city. For me, this was a re-acquaintance, having very briefly studied art history here in 2001, and visited for a short weekend a few years thereafter. For Dominik: this was a first visit to Venice, and for him, all of the inevitable excitement at discovering this gem afresh was evident to be seen – a glistening to his eyes caused, if not by the beautiful Christmas lights lining the colonnades of St Mark’s and the plush shopping streets surrounding it, then by reason of the emotion which greets one when the sheer beauty of Venice is taken in for the first time. Past baroque churches and small piazzas, over bridge after bridge crossing quiet little canals, their greeny waters still like ice, and along finally to the Accademia Bridge, from which that famous view, stretching down the Grand Canal towards the Santa Maria della Salute, could be enjoyed in all its elegant majesty.

The Accademia view and walking the streets of Venice

With our eyes nearly popping, and our legs already exhausted from the continuous ascent and descent over bridge after bridge, it was time for a rest, and for a heart-warming culinary welcome to the city: dinner. Our gastronomic benvenuto was provided by the perfect little eatery: Alle Testiere (Calle del Mondo Novo). Able to give their full attention to the few little tables squeezed into the restaurant, the staff were wonderfully attentive, spoke perfect English, and made this culinary welcome a warm one. The wine – some more of that Venetian Valpolicella – was as sensationally smooth as was our gentle arrival onto the Grand Canal but hours earlier.

But the food was something beyond mere description – taste sensations which need to be sampled rather than photographed or described. But in an attempt to at least provide some insight into that perfect little meal, let me tell you that my pumpkin and shrimp ravioli with which I started (but alas did not photograph) was amongst one of the best dishes of food I ate in 2013 – perfectly cooked al dente pasta, with a fusion of sweet creamy pumpkin and delicate salty shrimp which had my palate dancing for joy. The creamy saffron gnocchi with fennel and prawns which I gorged upon afterwards did likewise. For Dominik meanwhile, the freshness of a squid salad presented all of the benefits of eating in a city surrounded by water, while his main of spaghetti vongole made us realise just how mediocre the same dish can be when eaten locally in London.

Our evening was rounded off, as all evenings should be. by an equally sensational dessert of smooth ricotta cheesecake, a glass of dessert wine with cantuccini for dipping, and a further stroll around the tiniest of alleyways and grandest of Piazzas which the area of our hotel provided in their multitude. After only a few hours in Venice, we returned to our hotel well aware that in visiting the city, we were living out some kind of dream; a surreal experience like none other. Where there are no roads or cars to wake you, taxis and buses that move on water, and houses that plunge straight into water. And if we needed further clarification of the surreal character of this very unique city, a glance out of the window that night to see Santa, dressed in red, crossing a bridge a little further down the canal (no joke) was confirmation that there truly is no place quite like Venice.

Join me on The Daily Norm for a whole load more in homage to Venice and beyond – coming soon.

Jan 6

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Venice: My paintings (Part 1) – The Grand Canal

I have decided to begin the narrative of my recent adventures in Venice, Rome and Naples at Christmas by sharing a few of the paintings I created when I last visited the watery paradise of Venezia in 2007. Painting 5 works in all, 2 of which are featured today, I was drawn, as so many of the best artists have been before me (Turner, Monet, Manet, Canaletto, Whistler, Seurat to name but a few…) to reflect upon the very unique face of a city which simply has no rival elsewhere in the world.

With its liquid reflections doubling up the views of every street, every palazzo and every church; it’s unique style of gothic architecture creating elegant lattice-like facades; it’s canals filled with stripy gondoliers and the elegant gondolas themselves; and for all its magnificent statues and pink lamps and bridges and art-stuffed churches, Venice is just a gift for artists.

Venice I (2007 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, oil on canvas)

Venice III (2007 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, oil on canvas)

When I last went to the city I came back, somewhat predictably, with a whole pile of photos which then inspired me to turn my hand to painting. These first two canvases focus on two typical Venetian views, both based on a series of photos I took of the Grand Canal. While I look back on these works now and see some degree of naivety in their finish, you can see how fascinated I was with the watery ripples which cast an abstract reimagining in every Venice reflection, as well as with the renowned elegance of those great Grand Canal Palazzos and the gondolas that float onwards before them.

For all the criticism I could give these old works now, someone must have liked them – I sold them both shortly after their completion!

More Venice ahead – so join me soon on The Daily Norm!

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. For more information on the work of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, head to his art website at www.delacy-brown.com

Jan 3

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The Daily Norm’s Photo of the Week: The Napoli Puddle of Mystery

Following on from the all sparkling, all dancing spectacle of yesterday’s Italian festive lights post, today’s post, and indeed this week’s Daily Norm photograph of the week, focuses specifically on one photo from Italy which, like yesterday, features Christmas lights, but is characterised by an altogether different mood. With its gloomy dark lighting, this photograph is an altogether more mysterious image, one which feels edgy, and almost intimidating, as though we have emerged from the darkness which surrounds the frame of the photo. In the sinister blue glow, the glistening cobbles of a Naples street can be seen, fresh after a recent rainfall. The crack down the cobbles, which has collected more water owing to the incline of the road runs almost like a wound through the centre of the photo; while the puddle in the centre, reflecting the street decorations hung above, looks like some kind of mysterious magical cauldron, filled with a potion created with a sorcerer’s touch.

The fact of the matter is that no matter how fantastical my description, or indeed the finish of this photo may be, it was taken in the notoriously dark, gloomy and at times dangerous streets of Naples’ old town one December evening after the rain. Because of the rainfall, the usually crowded streets were near deserted, and the shop keepers had shut up shop for the night. That made the area, with its dark unforgiving alleyways no friend of the guileless tourist, and for me this photo carries with it the dark edginess of the mood prevailing at that time. Needless to say, shortly after it was taken my partner and I ran off to the safety of our hotel, my camera safely stowed away as we did so!

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2013 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.