The palace of Nymphenburg continue… June 7, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Aquarium, Art Gallery, Beach Resorts, Belgium, Coliseum, Destination, Dolphinarium, Europe, Gymnasium, Hotels, Library, Lodges, Museum, Oceanarium, Planetarium, Restaurant, Round The World, USA , add a commentIn 1716 Effner began the first of the four Rococo pavilions in the garden. This was the Pagodenburg, a product of the craze for chinoiserie that was beginning to sweep Western Europe. This little building has an interesting plan, which can be described either as an octagon with projections at four of the eight sides or as a Greek cross with the corners bevelled off. The exterior has an entirely French appearance and it is only inside that the Chinese theme is introduced. On the ground storey, the principal feature is provided by the blue Delft tiles in glazed earthenware, which the elector may have learned to appreciate during his stay in the Low Countries, though they are undoubtedly a cheaper substitute for Chinese porcelain. The upper of the two storeys has two pentagonal cabinets with lacquer panelling and furniture made by Parisian craftsmen in the chinoiserie manner. In the lounge, however, the purely European Régence again takes over in the fine wall carvings and silk brocade. (more…)
The palace of Nymphenburg June 7, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Europe, France, Hotels, Italy, Netherlands, Paris, USA , add a commentThe palace of Nymphenburg on the outskirts of Munich owes its present form to the desire of the Elector Max Emanuel (who reigned from 1679 to 1726) to create a Bavarian counterpart of Versailles. We may be grateful that things did not turn out quite as planned, for Nymphenburg has interesting features not found in the French model. In fact, the principal delight of Nymphenburg lies not so much in the main course, so to speak, as in the dessert—the four delightful garden pavilions that rank among the finest examples of the Rococo style in Europe.
Max Emanuel did not start his palace from scratch : an earlier building had been erected by his mother Henrietta Adelaide of Savoy, who received the manor of Kemnat in 1663 as a gift from her husband. (more…)
