Recently the Errant Aesthete reminded us of the French expression 'l'esprit de l'escalier' or stairway wit. It loses a bit in the translation, but that presents no problem with George Rousse's 1983 painting/photograph Escalier (at right), it's hectic ascent a play for the eye.
Stephane Marechalle's photograph of the Stairway to the Baths at Chateau d'Ecouen is a classic example of the Renaissance staircase, a cool, tempered entrance to a place of relaxation.Moving forward in time, Albert Lafon designed this wrought iron spiral staircase for the second floor apartment in the home of Symbolist painter Gustave Moreau (1826-1898). Moreau's home on Rue Larochefoucauld in Paris is now a museum, as you can see from this photograph.
Aristotle thought that the stairway symbolized the divine order of the universe.
The complexity of multiple variables is neatly encapsulated in a photo taken at the Villa Lante in Bagnaia, Italy of a stairway with a curvilinear sluice way running down its center, contrasting the "effortless descent of the water with the human energy expended on the upward walk." Just as energy is frozen in place by the spiral staircase, that corkscrew would as tightly as the Nautilus that may have inspired its invention.
(photograph by Pandorea at flickr.com)Thomas Schutte's drawing is part of a series The House made in 1984, the collection is at Pompidou Center, Paris.
3 comments:
Jane,
Very thoughtful and illuminating post on L'esprit de l'escalier. Not only am I intrigued with the concept, but have always loved the mystery and possibility that stairways evoke.
My interest in "Ste[s and Stairs" came from reading the book by Jonathan Miller (1989). Phsician, theatrical producer...you can see how he knew there was a subject there. Thanks.
These stairs are very nice and they have a great design. I personally like the stairs designed by Albert Lafon.
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