Category Archives: Architecture

Fonthill: Saloon – Cuneiform Tablets

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141119_Saloon Cuneiform Column by Karl Graf. Canon 5D MkIII, EF17-40mm f/4L @ 23mm, f/8, ISO 200 HDR, Multiple Image

Mercer’s most valuable foreign tiles are Cuneiform Tablets.  Some of these date back to 2300 BC.  Mercer mounted these tablets surrounded by his tiles on one column in the Saloon.  It is a fascinating display.  This image had over 10 levels of dynamic range.  It is a combination of a 5 image HDR blended together with multiple single images to capture the bright exterior and the tiles in the shadowed foreground.

Below is a close-up of one of the oldest tiles dated around 2300 BC.

Saloon Cuniform Tile by Karl Graf.

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Fonthill: Saloon – Delft Tiles

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141118_Delft Tiles by Karl Graf. Canon 5D MkIII, EF17-40mm f/4L @ 23mm, f/8.0, 1/8 sec, ISO 200

Along with his own tiles, Mercer collect tiles from around the world.  The above image is from a display in the Saloon of Delft Tiles from the 1600’s.

The origin of the Dutch Delft Tiles began in Egypt with Arabic (Islamic) themes and designs.  As Islam expanded to North Africa and Moorish Spain in the 4th – 6th century, so did the art and ceramic tiles.  The Alhambra in Spain is covered with such tiles.  Antwerp, Holland was a major seaport and trading center in the 15th and 16th centuries.  In 1585, during the Eighty Years War, Antwerp was taken by the Spaniards. Trade came to stand still, freedom of religion was put to an end. This resulted in many tradesmen going abroad. Among them were the potters, who left for England, Germany and the Northern-Netherlands.  This was the basis for the Dutch Delft Tiles.

Below is a display, also in the Saloon, of Delft tiles in the mid 18th century.  Notice how the designs have evolved to Northern European motifs.

Saloon Delft Tiles by Karl Graf.

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Fonthill: Library – Reference Stove Plate

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141117_Library Stove Plate by Karl Graf. Canon 5DMkIII, EF24-70mm f2.8L @ 51mm, f/7.1, 0.8 sec, ISO 200

Many of Mercer’s tiles were inspired or taken directly from old cast iron stove plates like this one located in the Library Fireplace.  Impressions were made from the figures and designs.  Pay attention to the woman pouring liquid into an urn in the right-center part of the plate.  See something familiar in the tile below located on the Russian Fireplace in the Saloon.

141117_Saloon Russian Fireplace Scene by Karl Graf. Tile on the Russian Fireplace in the Saloon

Also notice other similar figures of people, urns, border patterns and so on.  As in any design, it is great to have a starting point.  The Castle is full of such tile scenes.  I really enjoy looking at the different stove plates on display and trying to find the designs replicated somewhere in the tiles.  It’s a little like playing hide and seek.

Tomorrow I will move into the Saloon.

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Fonthill: Library Ceiling and Column Tiles

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141116_Library Column Tiles by Karl Graf. Canon 5DMkIII, EF24-70mm f/2.8L @ 42mm, f/6.3, 2 sec, ISO 200

The walls and fireplaces are not the only structures that are covered with tiles.  Most of the Castle’s many structural column capitals are encased with Mercer’s tiles.  Everywhere you look there are tiles, tiles and more tiles.  This image is taken from the main level looking up at the second floor of the Library.  The Library has concrete bookshelves lining the walls to accommodate the thousands of history and reference books collected by Mercer.

The ceilings of most rooms are also covered with tiles as shown below.  Remember … Plus Ultra!

Library Ceiling by Karl Graf.

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Fonthill: Library Fireplace

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141114_Library Fireplace by Karl Graf. Canon 5D MkIII, EF17-40mm f/4L @ 27mm, f/8.0, 1/6 sec, ISO 400

Immediately after entering the Library, the large fireplace sets the stage for exploring Mercer’s historic tile series.  The saying above the fireplace “PLVS VLTRA”  (PLUS ULTRA) gives the visitor a hint of what is to come.  Plus ultra is Latin for “further beyond”.  It is the national motto of Spain, adopted from the personal motto of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (and King of Spain as Charles I).  As we will see there is much more “further beyond” in Mercer’s Fonthill Castle.  The tiles on the face of the mantle depict Spain’s expansion into the New World starting with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella sending Christopher Columbus off on his journey.

141114_Columbus & Ferdinand-Isabella by Karl Graf. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella sending Columbus on his journey with the three ships.

The next tile depicts the dangers of the journey.

141114_Sea of Darkness by Karl Graf. “The Sea of Darkness”

The “Sea of Darkness” theme is repeated in other tiles throughout the Castle.  The Spanish exploration into the New World is the focus of the Columbus Room which I will show in future posts.  There is much more to see Plus Ultra!

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Fonthill: Another Entryway Mosaic that Nobody Sees

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Entryway Mosaics by Karl Graf.

Canon 5D MkIII, EF17-40mm f/4L @ 22mm, f/8.0, 8 sec, ISO 200

This is another beautiful mosaic mural in the Fonthill entryway that most people brush by on the start of the Fonthill tour.  It is located in a very dark hallway that leads from the entryway to the library.  I cannot recall the number of times I have taken the tour and just walked by this mural.

This project is teaching me to be patient, look around, explore with with my eyes and see things that I have not “seen” before.  My eyes may have passed over things as I rushed to capture the more common view points.  By being patient without expectations, I am “seeing” much more than ever before.  As John Barclay keeps repeating:  “Be patient, have no expectations, let the image come to you.”

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Fonthill: Start of a Walking Tour of Mercer’s Tile Collection

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Entryway Mosaics by Karl Graf. Canon 5D MkIII, EF24-70mm f2.8L @ 52mm, f/11, 5 sec, ISO 200

Welcome.  This will be the first post of a series that will walk through Fonthill Castle room by room, focusing on the Mercer tile collection.  I will attempt to throw in a few of my “learning” tidbits along the way.

This mosaic greets you as you first walk in to the Fonthill “front door” into the Visitor entryway.  Most eyes move quickly to the left to the Visitor check-in desk and do not pay attention to this mural.  After check in a visitor usually moves around looking at various items for sale in the entryway or moves quickly into the Conservatory.  They do not pay much attention to this mural.  I encourage my guests to stop and look.  This is the only place in the Castle that this style of tile work is displayed.  Below is a close-up of one of the repetitive scenes.

Entryway Mosaics by Karl Graf.

For another beautiful mural located behind and to the left of the Visitors check-in desk, please look back to my first post on 12 November.

ENJOY YOUR VISIT !

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Fonthill: Delft Tiles

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Saloon Delft Tiles by Karl Graf. Canon 5D MkIII, EF17-40mm f/4L @ 40mm, f/11, ISO 200 HDR

In my current project at Fonthill Castle, I am capturing Henry Mercer’s collection of foreign tiles as well as unique tiles designed by Mercer.  In building the project, I first try to photograph the tiles in their setting within the Castle.  This view is a selection of Mercer’s 18th Century Delft tiles in one of the Saloon’s large arched windows.  The perspective looks into the Library.

The challenge of this image was to focus on the Delft Tiles as mounted in the window and provide the setting as looking back into the Library.  I used HDR to blend the dynamic ranges of 5 images to balance out the shadows on the window tiles and the bright light coming in through the window.  I then used NIK Color Efex Pro contrast filters and Photoshop layers to selectively highlight and brighten details of the tiles and background tapestry in the Library.  I also wanted to keep the texture of the concrete at a subdued level.

There is so much to see in the Castle.  It is just very hard to capture the range of colors and details as the different elements are hidden by shadows or washed out from the bright light coming in from the windows.  In certain areas I have had to take images with a 13-stop difference between the deepest shadows and the brightest highlights.  I learn from each image I make.  For reference, below is the base exposure image that I started with.

141113_Delft Tiles, Saloon Window2 by Karl Graf.

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Fonthill: Entry-way Mural

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141112_Entryway Mural by Karl Graf. Canon 5D MkIII, EF17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm, f/8.0, 1.6 sec, ISO 200

Most people miss this beautiful tile mosaic when entering Fonthill Castle.  It is located behind and to the left of the desk.  There are so many beautiful pieces of art around the castle located in nooks, crannies, hallways, and stairways that most visitors miss when they tour the castle.  This image was taken with my widest angle lens with the camera pushed back as far as it could go.  For  Christmas I may ask for a 14mm wide-angle.

The following image is a close up of some of the detail … amazing piece of art work!

141112_Entryway Mural Detail by Karl Graf.

 

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Fonthill: Breakfast Room Reflection

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Breakfast Room Mirrors by Karl Graf. Canon 5D MkIII, EF17-40mm f4.0L @ 40mm, f/11, ISO 1600 HDR

My focus for this image in Fonthill’s Breakfast Room was to capture various aspects of Henry Mercer’s tile designs.  A large series of mirrors framed by tile columns and arches covered one wall.  The opposite side of the room was decorated with a brocade mosaic covered Russian fireplace.  By shooting a reflection in the mirror, I was able to capture both designs in a single image.  I needed to combine two images into a HDR to reduce the brightness from the light coming through the window.  I tried to keep the “HDR effect” to a natural style as much as possible.

The image is a little grainy due to the double effect of a high ISO of 1600 and the HDR processing.  I have no idea why my camera was set at ISO 1600.  I just did not check the settings before I took the image.  Big lesson learned here … constantly check camera settings before taking an image.

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