Book Review: Interior Voyages by Matthieu Salvaing

[© Interior Voyages by Matthieu Salvaing, Rizzoli New York, 2020. Photography © Matthieu Salvaing.]

 

 

Matthieu Salvaing was only 16 years old when he created his first significant photographic work, a photo documentary set in Andalusia. Soon afterwards, he worked on a collaboration with Oscar Niemeyer, the famous architect; this friendship and new found collaboration helped to foster a love for architecture and interior design in Salvaing, which was soon reflected in  his photography work.

Today, Salvaing is best known for his distinct, unique eye that captures more than a simple interior: Salvaing's well-crafted style is designed to evoke feelings, emotions, and the unique personal styles associated homes, hotels and other distinct interior spaces.

 

[© Interior Voyages by Matthieu Salvaing, Rizzoli New York, 2020. Photography © Matthieu Salvaing.]

The interiors explored in 'Interior Voyages' are not only homes: they include hotels, old-fashioned film sets, creative spaces and more. Flipping through the pages is always a surprise, as you never know what location will show up next. One of the more interesting residences explored in this book is the home that Mia Farrow and Frank Sinatra once shared, located in Acapulco; fans of these and other notable figures with distinct homes will no doubt enjoy them viewed through the highly creative, intimate lens of Matthieu Salvaing.

[© Interior Voyages by Matthieu Salvaing, Rizzoli New York, 2020. Photography © Matthieu Salvaing.]

The stunning high quality matte photographs featured in 'Interior Voyages' capture highly evocative moments in time. A seemingly forgotten corner of a luxury hotel; a old film set that evokes a world that has radically changed since its faux-walls were first erected; classical rococo interiors, filled with famous art and gilding; eclectic studio spaces, cluttered with art and supplies; and much more. Sometimes the photographs capture an entire room, but more often it captures something small, memorable, distinct. A corner, a table, a space you might find yourself drawn to in person.

One of the most intriguing features of 'Interior Voyages'--aside from the photographs themselves--is the page quality. Rizzoli is no stranger to high quality book production, but the stunning, smooth matte quality of the photography pages in this book jumps out immediately as soon as you open the book for the first time. They make it a true pleasure to flip through each page, taking in the evocative interiors and intricate details that Salvaing captures in every photograph.

[© Interior Voyages by Matthieu Salvaing, Rizzoli New York, 2020. Photography © Matthieu Salvaing.]

  

The book is a photography book in every sense of the word. There is a short introduction, and each interior is preceded by a location and several-sentence description; other than that, the book is simply a journey through Salvaing photographs, an experience to be savored.

If you are a fan of Salvaing's work, 'Interior Voyages' is an absolute must-buy. If you are a fan of interior design, interiors as a whole, and unique spaces captured through a highly creative eye, then I also recommend checking out 'Interior Voyages.'

[A review copy of this publication was provided to me by the publisher.]

Chateau de Versailles announces "My Versailles" photography winners

 

 Belvédère Haunted [credit: ©EPV Jean-Luc Perez]

This year, the Chateau de Versailles hosted a special photography contest exclusively for its staff--from gardeners to administrative workers--to capture photographs of Versailles, "My Versailles," as only people working in the palace can know it. The results are captivating, intimate looks at a Versailles as seen through the people who make it their livelihood. Ten winners were chosen and are currently presented at Les Carnets de Versailles website.

All 10 entries can be viewed at Les Carnets de Versailles.

View of Apollo at Versailles

A close-up view of the Apollo's Chariot sculpture at Versailles.

[credit: © EPV / Didier Saulnier/Chateau de Versailles]

A goose at the Queen's Hamlet

A goose brooding eggs at the Queen's Hamlet at Versailles.

[credit: © EPV / Didier Saulnier/Chateau de Versailles]

Gilded Sculpture in the Queen's Theater

A view of the sculpture work in the theater of Marie Antoinette at the Petit Trianon.

[credit: © EPV / Thomas Garnier, via Chateau de Versailles]

Hyacinths at the Trianon

Two views of the currently blooming hyacinths in the gardens of the Trianon.

[credit: © EPV / Didier Saulnier, via Chateau de Versailles]

[credit: © EPV / Didier Saulnier, via Chateau de Versailles]

'ImagineFrance' by Maia Flore

ImagineFrance: A Fantastical Voyage is a photography series by Maia Flore, who is best known for her fantasy photography work, including her critically acclaimed Sleep Elevations series. The 25 photographs featured in the ImagineFrance series are the result of Flore's tour of some of the most memorable places that France has to offer--from the chateau de Versailles to the Pont du Gard and beyond.

But Flore doesn't simply capture these sights with her lens--she transforms them into something wistful, magical, otherworldly, and even somber. The end result is a photograph that speaks to the viewer on a personal level. In her description of ImagineFrance, Martine Ravache aptly describes Flore's photographs as "... an experience, sometimes of the absurd, sometimes of playfulness or mystery, sometimes of light, nature, or adventure. In the end, a sense of freedom gives each of us – whether spectator or visitor—a burning desire to jump in and join this enchanted world."

All of the photographs in the series can be viewed on the official ImagineFrance website. I have selected a few that personally stood out to me to share here.

 image: Chateau de Thoiry

credit: © Maia Flore/VU'/Atout France

 

 image: Chateau de Haut-Koenigsbourg

credit: © Maia Flore/VU'/Atout France

 image: Conciergerie, Paris

credit: © Maia Flore/VU'/Atout France

A Cat at Versailles

credit: Chateau de Versailles

An interesting photograph one of the stray cats who calls the grounds of Versailles home!

Versailles in the Winter

A series of photos of Versailles at wintertime, from the official Chateau de Versailles Facebook.

credit: © EPV/ Christian Milet

credit: © EPV/ Christian Milet

credit: © EPV/ Christian Milet

The Queen's Hamlet in the Winter

A photograph of Marie Antoinette's hamlet in the wintertime.

credit: (C) RMN-Grand Palais - Gestion droit d'auteur

The Sculptures Dressed for Winter

credit:  © EPV / Thomas Garnier

The coldness of winter is upon us, and even the statues at Versailles must take a little precaution and bundle up to keep warm. In the evening, many of Versailles statues are covered in a weather tarp to help keep them from being damaged by the low temperatures. 

Unseen Versailles by Deborah Turbeville

The Halloween season is one of my favorite times of the year. The costumes, the decorations, the abundance of pumpkin-themed food items... October is a very season! This year, I thought it would be fun to have a weekly Halloween post--every Thursday until the big 3-1!-- to share in the fun, unique and sometimes spooky Halloween spirit.

This (sadly, last!) week:

 

credit: Deborah Turbeville

'"I wanted to convey that all those lives sort of went down the drain." Deborah Turbeville's Unseen Versailles, published in book format in 1981, strives to capture a sort of lost, ghostly memory of Versailles. Instead of seeking to recreate Versailles in its former glory--in fact, Turbeville was dismayed to find that the palace had been largely restored when she arrived to begin her work--Unseen Versailles is a peek at the past "buried in the walls" of the palace.

 credit: Deborah Turbeville

To achieve this affect, Turbeville photographed the palace in January, when furniture and statues were covered for protection.. She also had dead leaves and other debris brought into the rooms, adding to the sense of the forgotten or untended--which horrified the keepers of the palace, who had actually wanted Turbeville to photograph the rooms looking their best. (It's probably a good thing she decided against her idea of sneaking in a spiderweb machine!)

 credit: Deborah Turbeville

The end result of all this work, though it apparently left the keepers of Versailles aghast, is a  haunting Versailles photobook unlike any other. Unfortunately, the book is out of print and has a steep price on the secondhand market. But if you are interested in a "Versailles photobook" that is absolutely unique, I highly recommend looking for a more reasonably priced used copy or checking out the book from a library collection.

The sun rising on Versailles

The sun rising on the Sun King's palace:

image: © EPV / Thomas Garnier

Aeriel Views of the Hameau de la Reine

credit: ToucanWings – Creative Commons By Sa 3.0

The Chateau de Versailles, in partnership with Wikimedia France and photographer ToucanWings, has produced a series of aeriel photographs of Versailles and its grounds. I thought I would share just a few of the amazing aerial photographs of the hameau de la reine.

credit: ToucanWings – Creative Commons By Sa 3.0

credit: ToucanWings – Creative Commons By Sa 3.0

credit: ToucanWings – Creative Commons By Sa 3.0

credit: ToucanWings – Creative Commons By Sa 3.0

A view of the Hameau

A view of the bridge and the mill in the Hameau de la Reine, taken sometime before the 2007-2008 restoration of Marie Antoinette's private estate.

credit: (C) RMN-Grand Palais (Château de Versailles) / Daniel Arnaudet

Quick Treasure: Another Versailles Autochrome by Jules-Gervais Courtellemont

I've really fallen in love with these romantic autochromes of players/actors at Versailles, taken by Jules-Gervais Courtellemont. This next scan is of a print made from an autochrome, but is still lovely nonetheless.

 

image: players reenact life at the Temple of Love

credit: my collection