I don't mind black and white photography, but there are times when I find it maddening. Take, for the example, the photos of this gem of a flower room, which was painted in trompe l'oeil. How can one truly appreciate trompe l'oeil paintwork without seeing its colors?
Despite these limitations, the photos, which appeared in Classical America IV
, still manage to capture the room's immense charm. According to the accompanying text, the room, which was located off of a residential garden and used for flower arranging, was painted by decorative artist Hight Moore. (No mention is made of where in America this room was located nor when Moore painted it.) Together, the artist and the homeowner conceived a space where the Rococo style- or, at least, a trompe l'oeil version of it- runs rampant. Other than an existing door frame, chair rail, and single half-round molding at the ceiling, the architectural embellishments have been painted on by Moore.Of course, what the photos don't capture are the colors that Moore used, so I'll simply quote from the article:
Against the white of the walls, the trompe l'oeil architectural details, i.e., the dado, cornice, ceiling panels, etc., are in a pale mauve, with the actual door frames and back splash of the sink in faux marbre of mottled lilac. The rocaille-and-vine motifs are in a strong green, as are the rocaille frames of the two reliefs, the one over the door and the other over the sink. The details of the reliefs are white, like the stove, against a soft terra cotta background which echoes the brick floor.
So there you have it- a flower room whose sense of fun and fantasy is evident, even when presented in black and white.
