09 Thursday Aug 2018
Posted in Art and Scent
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In honor of Book Lovers Day (not that I need a particular occasion to love books!), here’s a painting by the Italian Renaissance artist Piero di Cosimo (1462-1521). It’s a depiction of Mary Magdalene reading scripture, with a jar of precious perfumed oil standing at her elbow.
This painting dates to 1490-95 and is in the collections of the Palazzo Barberini in Rome.
06 Wednesday Jun 2018
Posted in Art and Scent
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I’ve been listening to Kate Bush since I was sixteen years old (possibly the very best time to start listening to Kate Bush!) but I don’t think I’ve ever written about her in connection to scent.
16 Wednesday May 2018
Posted in Advertising and Scent, Art and Scent
Sometimes an advertisement is all we can know of a discontinued perfume. This is the case (for me, at least) for Natural de Myrurgia, a fragrance released by the Spanish house Myrurgia in 1982.
Myrurgia is best known for its classic Maja, still available worldwide, but all I’ve been able to learn about Natural comes from a page on the Fragrantica database, which describes Natural as a floral-chypre composition of sandalwood, patchouli, musk, violet, jasmine, pink peony, bergamot, and rose. The page also includes an ad for Natural de Myrurgia. The photo is too small and too low-resolution for me to read its text, but its imagery is clear enough…
26 Monday Mar 2018
Posted in Art and Scent
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I didn’t know anything about the band Rasputina until I walked into one of their live shows, thanks to my husband, who had bought tickets, guessing (correctly) that I would enjoy it. Rasputina’s musical style is often described as “gothic cello-rock,” and it’s certainly a love-or-hate thing. For me, it was love at first note.
I just wanted to share this image, the cover of Rasputina’s 2002 album Cabin Fever. Rasputina’s frontwoman, Melora Creager, creates much of the artwork for the band’s visual materials. She seems to have collaborated with photographer and multi-media artist Ryan Obermeyer for this cover.
Do you see what I see?
12 Monday Mar 2018
Posted in Art and Scent
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Photograph by Mick Rock, 1973
I’ve been immersed in all things Bowie lately, and I’m staring at these photos by Mick Rock for the hundredth time and feeling as frustrated as I did when I first saw them.
Here’s a recent quote about Bowie from Mick Rock:
“I have loads of pictures of him backstage getting himself ready, in ridiculous extravagant costumes, having a drink in a plastic cup,” Mr. Rock said. After Bowie traveled to Japan and met Kabuki performers, “his makeup got even more exotic. This Japanese makeup was like little pots, there was a lot of little powders involved, all carefully laid out, ready to go,” before a show, “along with the cigarette packs, and maybe a banana or two.” (The New York Times, March 5, 2018) … Continue reading
26 Monday Feb 2018
Posted in Art and Scent
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The Italian artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo became known for his witty and eye-fooling “portrait heads” in the 1500s. His portraits and allegorical figures composed of objects like fruit, vegetables, seashells, and food gained him favor as a court painter and prefigured the much later art historical movement of Surrealism. (You can read a short Smithsonian article about him here.)
14 Wednesday Feb 2018
Posted in Art and Scent
21 Thursday Dec 2017
Posted in Art and Scent
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I’m a longtime fan of Atlas Obscura, so I was thrilled when its editors were interested in my idea for an article about the perfumer Ann Haviland. I came across Haviland’s name by chance, and the more I read about her work, the more fascinated I was by her innovative approach to perfumery in the 1910s and 1920s. She was a woman ahead of her time.
I hope you’ll enjoy reading the article, which you can find here. Please feel free to share with any friends who might also be interested!
Note: This beautiful illustration was created for the article by artist Whooli Chen. I think it’s perfect for this story. Thank you, Whooli!
11 Saturday Nov 2017
Posted in Art and Scent
November 11 is Veterans Day, and I’m marking the occasion with this World War II-era cover illustration from the Saturday Evening Post. This G.I. certainly seems to be enjoying the customer service he’s receiving at the perfume counter.
Illustration by John Newton Howitt (1885-1958) for the Saturday Evening Post, published January 17, 1924.
