Well known for her work sculpting the Prince of Wales’s garden at Highgrove as well as the gardens of other aristocrats, Isabel Bannerman is something of a garden celebrity.  It seems only fitting that such an artful yet natural work would come from her.  These limited edition prints are offered on sale along with many other antiques and works from their home at Hanham Court on sale this coming week at Christie’s.  I’ve featured a few items from the sale this week, and having looked through the catalog I can say that the Bannermans have exquisite taste as well as what must be a limitless budget to have filled their home with so many treasures.  In fact, it makes me wonder what they couldn’t bear to part with and what still resides in their manor.  Hopefully one day I’ll get to find out.

For those that are interested in the manor itself, you can actually stay at Hanham Court Gardens and see the Bannermans’ cave of wonders for yourself.

Available as Lot 33 in the Hanham Court – Pastoral Idyll auction at Christie’s London – South Kensington until April 14th.

Fairly spectacular in detail, this table is certainly one of the highlights at the upcoming Pastoral Idyll auction at Christie’s London.  This isn’t period unfortunately, but is inspired by the influential 18th century garden designer Batty Langley.  There’s so much to talk about on this piece, but I particularly like the choice of stone on the top, the pockmarked stone lends a certain quality to it, grounds the design, really.  The general carving is so intricate, from the rosettes to the leaves in the feet in the frieze, and it has a formal quality while still carrying the overall garden theme with the design elements.  Now all you need is a fitting garden in which to place it!

Lot 9 Hanham Court – Pastoral Idyll – until April 14th at Christie’s London – South Kensington

205 years ago today, the Eroica Symphony was heard for the first time in public at Vienna’s Theater-an-der-Wien.  I find the very idea positively spine-tingling, don’t you?

Seeing this work in person is hypnotic, but for as bold as the foreground is, what draws my eye most is the very interesting texture and look of the clouds in the upper left area.  Do you see how the area of pure white cloud seems to blur into the storm behind it?  For a piece that has a clear impressionist style about it, I find those clouds oddly realistic.  If you’ve ever seen the sky churn in the Midwestern United States before a summer thunderstorm you know just what I mean.

Vlaminck is part of the Fauvism movement, a sort of sub-variety of the larger Impressionist Revolution happening at the time that is typically identified with the bold color you see in the piece below.  If you’ve not heard of the Fauvist Vlaminck before, you’ve surely seen his more famous compatriot, Henri Matisse.

I find the style incredibly appealing.  It hasn’t a certain joy and richness about it, even in a painting of a small town about to be battered by a storm, don’t you think?

Available until March 10th as Lot 50 in the Impressionist and Modern Art Including Russian Art Auction at Sotheby’s New York Headquarters.

Even though I don’t own any birds, I’m certain I could find a creative use for these magnificent cages.  The twisted bars and gilded finials are the highlights for me; frankly I could do without the strange design work on the base, which looks cheap and out of place in my opinion.  The cage doors are also quite good – almost Gothic in style, like the window to some grand cathedral, but in miniature.  All in all a very stylish home for an exotic pet or whatever your imagination likes.

Available until April 1st, as Lot 249 in the Fine European Furniture Including Tapestries, Silver, Ceramics and Carpets Auction at Sotheby’s New York office.