Thursday, January 17, 2013

Neuchatel Museum of Art and History

Located in western Switzerland, this building by architect Leo Chatelain that was constructed between 1880 and 1884 to house what was then called the Museum of Fine Arts and Museum of Painting.


The large mosaic tympanum on the facade depicts The Glorification of Art and was completed around the same time as those in the half dome of the apse of St. Stephen's Basilica in Budapest (1891-1905). While the tympanum is bare on an 1886 etching, a postcard from 1898 shows the completed mosaic, further narrowing down the date.


The facade also contains twelve medallions featuring heads representing different types of human races.

Sources:
Wikipedia
ErikDarcy's TrekEarth Photos
Adventures in Architecture
Barr, Sheldon. Venetian Glass Mosaics: 1860-1917. New York: Antique Collectors’ Club Ltd., 2008. 133 & 139.
e-Pics
Amecoleour

No comments:

Post a Comment