Poliestry Biodegradowalne

Thurs 2008 - Dispatch No. 18: 115 Charterhouse Street (London - United Kingdom)


Art Nouveau in London is quite a story, original and complicated. Original, first, because the New British Art found a deep seated in the Arts & Crafts movement, who recently - and brilliantly - renewed the decorative arts relying heavily on the long medieval tradition English level forms and iconography, as well as by the spirit. From this point of view, we see that from that side of the Channel, there was never a follower of any break, and artistic development took place always in a constant concern for continuity. The complication, for its part, comes from the shadow cast on the style 1900 by the great exception that represents the modernity of Mackintosh in Glasgow and, for many, just to summarize and represent the Art Nouveau in the United Kingdom .

What has been built in London around 1900 is therefore difficult to appreciate a simple glance. First, it is not very important, and it certainly suffers some continental influence that gives it a nice oddity. We can easily convince ourselves by going to see what remains of the pioneering works of Charles Harrison Townsend (1851-1928)). The Whitechapel Art Gallery, designed in 1895, is unfortunately now partially disfigured, having lost its superb mosaic of Walter Crane. Fortunately remain intact the Horniman Museum, began in 1896. We will not forget to go take a look at the famous fountain in Piccadilly Circus, sculptor Gilbert fantastic representative of the New English Art Sculpture and author of the great tomb of the Duke of Clarence in the chapel at Windsor.

pub "Fox & Anchor" (Fox and Anchor, in French) was sent to me by PM, no information or even a specific address. But still ... It always happens to find information, by taking time. As to the date of this building from 1898, you can read it on the tiles of its pediment, showing clearly and prominently, the famous fox and anchor who gave their name to the place ...

With some subtlety, this facade combines virtuosity with a fairly composite of diverse influences, from the Middle Ages - as represented by the gargoyles, and mullioned windows - and Orientalism - the central window of the first floor. But the crowning ceramic mentions specifically some buildings in Prague and Central Europe more generally. Regarding the details of the decoration, sober and discreet, but ultimately quite lush once it is noticed, it oscillates between a continental influence frankly - the heads of women are almost "Italian" - and style typically English, where flora, highly stylized, complies with the demands of an extraordinarily graphic elegance.
The only view that was sent to me from the inside shows the detail of a beautiful ceramic coating, typically British in tone, brilliant without ever being aggressive. and always with the sense of graphics that can not be English.