Saxon Henry's Blog, page 11

The Soul of Great Leaders

A soulful vignette in the Norwalk Showroom featuring one of the great leaders of America’s natives.

Whenever I see a photograph of a Native American, I can’t help but think of Crazy Horse, and I’ve seen a fair number of them in my lifetime given the years I spent in the mission field, traveling to and from the Sioux and Athapaskan reservations in South Dakota and Alaska. During one late autumn trip to the Yankton Reservation when the sun was still strong enough to make it comfortable to sit o...

The Seat of Scottish Power

Billy Connolly as John Brown, 1997; image courtesy of Miramax.

As the opening credits roll during the film Her Majesty, Mrs Brown, a Markino marble bust, which has been tossed over a castle’s ramparts, tumbles through the air toward the ground. When the work of art lands, it shatters into an eruption of shards, the sound exploding like a gunshot. The bust paid homage to a Scottish Highlander named John Brown, a devoted outdoor servant to Prince Albert at Balmoral Castle during the shooting s...

Literary Greats at Le Majestic

Each of the interior images below are of Kirei Studio’s Dior Suite at Le Majestic Cannes.

When I saw these images of the Christian Dior Suite at the Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic in Cannes, designed by Kirei Studio, I knew who simply had to check in for this literary design adventure. Not only would they enjoy the 180-degree views from the terrace overlooking the Mediterranean and the the storied location in the heart of the French Riviera, they’d adore the comfortably elegant furnishings and t...

How to Set a Mood

Aviva Stanoff’s Forest Light chandelier illuminates other new products, such as the La Cour Credenza, by Currey & Company. Photo by Erica George Dines; styling by Thea Beasley.

The 1968 version of The Thomas Crown Affair starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway is a mercurial mélange of masculine and feminine charisma in equal measure. It’s as apt an example of how to set a mood as the new releases by Currey & Company debuting at High Point Market this week, the Aviva Stanoff Forest Light cha...

Celebrating Shakespeare

This portrait of Shakespeare, the ‘Chandos portrait’ after a previous owner, the 1st Duke of Chandos, is now housed in the National Portrait Gallery; image courtesy WikiMedia. Celebrating Shakespeare

The 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death is April 23rd, the date he passed in 1616 at the age of 52 believed to be his birthday. It’s a milestone for which the UK in particular has been prepping for quite some time so celebrating Shakespeare in England has never been easier. But oppo...

The Palette of Van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh’s Self Portrait from 1889 at the National Gallery of Art. Image Saxon Henry.

You can see the passion in Vincent’s stare. Is there a hint of malice or is it a touch of despair? He was certainly a tortured man, though such a talented one. I stood and stared at this self-portrait hanging in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, for quite some time one summer afternoon—unable to take my eyes off the swirling atmosphere, the runnels of color streaming down his shoulders,...

It Is Time to Experience More

Currey & Company’s Edward Wormley Collection created the backdrop for a host of speakers during DBC16.

Experience more. It sounds like a simple directive but how many of us really take the time to savor what is happening right in front of us? I consider it a blessing that, as a writer, I live my life steeped in curiosity and engaging the world with heightened perception, and I feel fortunate to be creating sponsored content for a company that exhibits the same level of creative awareness.

Ex...

Reading Dante in Milan

The perfect spot for reading Dante on a sunny afternoon; welcome to Le Vrai.

“I’d like that sunny table near the windows under the beautiful mirror,” he says to the hostess at Le Vrai, pointing to the niche set with two café tables, perfect for reading Dante all afternoon. Only a few decades earlier, the waistcoat and watch fob dangling from its pocket would have been out of place, but this is 21st-century Milan and eccentricity in fashion is a hallmark of the creative spirit these days.

Re...

The Italian Reformation and Gifting

The Karman Déjà-Vu Nu chandelier fairly dances above this sleek table set with sexy chairs in a pert hue of chartreuse at La Ménagère.

Peering back into the mists of time to ascertain how relationships between men and women played out has its challenges, particularly when the era limited contact between the opposite sex of a certain rank such as duringthe Italian Reformation. Last week, I took readers on a literary design adventure that found the Renaissance master Michelangelo and the sixte...

Date Night in Florence Italy

Kimono pendants and a Settenani Brontolo pendant enliven this portion of La Ménagère with its exposed brick and massive columns.

What if the Renaissance master Michelangelo and the Marchesa di Pescara Vittoria Colonna suddenly found themselves revived and in modern day Florence? Though scholars are resolute that their relationship was platonic, that hasn’t stopped plenty of voyeurs from engaging in the art of innuendo that paints them as friends with benefits over the years. I thought I’d gi...