Canon 5D MkIII, EF17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm, f/11, 1.3 sec, ISO 400

Going through the Alcove Doors one enters the Four Seasons Gallery.  These mosaics were the last tiles to be installed in Fonthill before Henry Mercer’s death.  Each mosaic was to depict one of the four seasons.  Mercer was only able to complete two seasons of the four seasons.  These two mosaics were designed as a pair.  Each mosaic has 12 segments.  Eight of the segments depict farm life during the specific season.  The other 4 depict different elements of the season; birds, flowers etc.  The designs of the tiles are unique in that they are flat, placed and raised against the concrete background.  These are the only examples of this style.  Below are different aspects of the two mosaics.

Four Seasons:  Summer

Four Seasons:  Autumn

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Canon 5D MkIII, EF17-40mm f/4L @ 22mm, f/8.0, 0.3 sec, ISO 400

This dramatic fireplace dominates Mercer’s Morning Room.  The room faces North.  Light enters the room in the morning from the floor to ceiling windows on the left and from the right during the afternoon.  It is a very bright room throughout the day.  This fireplace is my favorite in Fonthill.  The Italian Brocade design is from a 16th century Sicilian tapestry.  Below is a detail of the design.

Italian Brocade design on Morning Room Fireplace

Elements of the design are separate tiles and can be used interchangeably to create various designs.  Compare this design with the design of the Italian Brocade in the Fonthill Entryway below.

Italian Brocade in Entryway Mosaic

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Canon 5D MkIII, EF24-70 f/2.8L @ 46mm, f/6.3, 1/6 sec, ISO 200

There are tiles everywhere, on the walls, on the fireplaces, on the window cells, on the columns on the ceilings … and on the floor.  Most people just walk over these tiles on the floor not paying any attention to them.  They are worth exploring by themselves.

More to follow …

Tomorrow we will start walking toward the Morning Room

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“The Rich Man and Lazarus Brocade Mural”

 Canon 5D MkIII, EF17-40 f/4L @ 17mm, f/8.0, 0.5 sec, ISO 400

“The Rich Man and Lazarus” is an example of Mercer’s Bible series brocade relief designs.  This unique mural was designed specifically for the hood of the main fireplace in the Saloon.  It is a single piece design as opposed to the segmented scenes present in Mercer’s other brocade stories.  The details and colors are exquisite.  The characters are from antique stove plates as described in a previous post.

The image below is the side panel of the main fireplace.

Canon 5D MkIII, EF17-40mm f/4L @ 23mm, f/11, 1/100 sec, ISO 400

This image is a composite of two photos, one exposed for the tiles and one exposed fro the exterior trees outside the window.  They were blended together in Photoshop.

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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.

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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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!

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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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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.

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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