Lush Bella

camel-back loveseat makeover COMPLETE!

2013-10-18T14:20:00.000-05:00

the pages of my "to do" list are now ½ a page shorter. i found this camel-back loveseat on craigslist after an
exhaustive search for something within our price range that would fit up a narrow stairway.

once we removed the legs, we hauled her upstairs to the front sitting room where i refinished her.

my inspiration for this project was a sofa covered in bennison linen via cote de texas...

and this image taken by melanie acevedo.

the printed linen fabric came from joann's and online fabric store. i took a chance on the possibility of getting two different dye lots
by splitting up the yardage because the price couldn't be beat, however i don't recommend doing this. thank god, they matched.

i used 3 books to help get me through this (see below) and got a little help from shelly at ModHomeEc.

next time...should i ever do this again...i'll get a proper stapler to replace this one, and instead of working directly on top of a wool rug,
i'll put down a drop cloth, so i don't spend hours picking up staples!

there were times when i thought i was in way over my head and i contemplated sending it out to a professional. btw, if you're reading this
and do this for a living, i have great respect for what you do!

i cried...yes i did, and i have a few war wounds from the ply grip (this guy makes it look so easy.)

my first upholstery project ever, but totally worth it.

loveseat $30
delivery $20
fabric $50
books $38
paint for the legs $8
ply grip $3
cord for welt $2
cambric for the bottom dust cover $2
total: $153

these are the books i used. not one had all the info i needed, but reading all 3 complemented one another and cleared up a lot of confusion for me. in hindsight though, i wish i had checked the library for these, because i highly doubt i'll ever read these again!

reupholstering at home
professional upholstering
singer upholstery basics

the heat wave continues...

2012-06-30T18:27:00.000-05:00

we're staying indoors this weekend. how about you? if we do go outside,
it will be when the sun goes down and temperatures drop.

we'll deploy some version of what you see below. cafe lights, a cooler full of beer,
a radio so we can listen to the royals vs. the twins, a fan to keep us cool,
and incense to keep the mozzies away.

hope it's cooler where you are!

1. CAFE STRING LIGHTS via target 2. SOLAR RADIO via brook farm genera store 3. COOLER via janus et cie

4. BOTTLE OPENER via rejuvenation 5. PILSNER GLASSES via serena and lily 6. PEDESTAL FAN via fanimation lighting 7. INCENSE COIL via amazon

Poolside with Slim Aarons

2012-06-28T15:54:00.000-05:00

photograph: slim aarons

At 3:00 pm, the temperature hit 104 degrees. Is it any wonder I'm longing for the pool?

1. RAFFIA UMBRELLA via pottery barn 2. BILL MIO SWIMSUIT via norma kamali 3. VINTAGE CHAISE source unknown 4. OUTDOOR MARKET UMBRELLA via frontgate 5. AMALFI BAR CART via janus et cie 6. VINTAGE CHAMPAGNE BUCKET via high street market 7. SOFIA MINI 4-PACK via francis ford coppola winery

Fluoro Fever

2012-06-04T12:53:00.000-05:00

While having lunch the other day, a girl wearing a gray tee, white ankle skinny jeans, and neon pink T-Straps walked by.
The whole outfit had me at "hello", but it was the neon sandals that made me stop and ask where she found them.

One could set out to decorate a room by taking a cue from this stylish girl. The gray top balanced the brightness of the
white denim while the vibrant pink sandals lent a bold, yet playful air.

In a room, a pop of color, like highlighter pink, can provide a vivid splash of color to an otherwise neutral palette and keep
it from being blasé or overly sweet.

As you can see below, a shot of color can liven up a home and create focal points in a room. For those of you shy about
using bold color...start small. Give yourself permission to go outside your comfort zone.

Fluorescent color and a 19th century Italian chandelier mingle happily.
Image via Carolyn Quartermaine

A tablescape featuring a vase of flowers painted with fluorescent paint displayed under a glass cloche.

Image via Sania Pell At Home

Home of Silje Aune Eriksen. Offcut Stool designed by Tom Dixon.
via Door Sixteen

Color pop dining room table
Image via decor8

This rug lends a dash of color and nomadic twist to a predominantly white bath.
Image via the style files

Acid neon green gives this kitchen a sharp modern edge.
Image via Pinterest

A set of early-19th-century chairs upholstered in high-gloss brilliant plastic

in the dining room of Christian Lacroix.
Image via Vogue Living Houses Gardens People

1. NEON STRIPE SKIRT via j.crew 2. BOX BAG via zara 3. JULIANNA CLUTCH via calypso st. barth
4. ITALIAN SUMMER SCARF via j.crew
5. BELLE BY SIGERSON MORRISON RANDY NEON SANDALS via madewell

The Scented Home

2012-06-04T12:03:00.000-05:00

To me, a fridge full of snapshots and doodles, area rugs strewn with squeaky dog toys, and mantels of mementos make a home.
So too does a home's scent. Not bacon still lingering two days later or running shoes parked near the front door, but the good stuff.

The ideal scent for me is a mix of petrichor, amber, bergamot, teak wood, and a slice of fresh lemon. I deploy a mix of the
following with the exception of indoor gardening.

SCENTED CANDLES AND ROOM MISTS ~
Although everyone has their own preferences, here are some favorites of mine. You may find something to love.
Niven Morgan Gold
Cote Bastide Amber
Diptyque Feu de Bois for wintertime
Trapp Burmese Wood

HOUSEPLANTS ~
My green thumb stops at the front door. Either for lack of warm, sunny windows or a house that is kept too cool in winter,
I've had little success with growing plants indoors.

Jasmine–reminds me of a garden we kept in San Francisco.
Gardenia–I've never had luck with this one. If you have, what's your secret?
Indoor Fruit Tree–try the dwarf Improved Meyer Lemon or Kaffir lime.

FRESH FLOWERS ~
No cutting garden? No problem. Try the local farmers' market, the grocery store or flower shop.

Recycled Glass Bottle by Creative Co-Op via One Kings Lane

Image styled by Olga Naiman

In a vase of this size, in place of flowering branches, try giant tropical leaves.

If arranging flowers intimidates you (and it does me),

check out Bringing Nature Home: Floral Arrangements Inspired by Nature.

A page from the book – Bringing Nature Home: Floral Arrangements Inspired by Nature

Nearly anything that holds water can be used as long as its scale and size suits the bouquet. Instead of reaching for a bud vase,

consider this collection of old chemistry and laboratory flasks.

Image from Heart Home Magazine Issue 2

A few favorites...

1. SHANE POWERS OPAL LARGE VASE via west elm 2. MARIA MOYER HIVE ORB via west elm

3. MARIA MOYER GRID ORB via west elm 4. SHANE POWERS OPAL ELONGATED VASE via west elm

5. VINTAGE FRENCH PITCHER via one kings lane 6. VINTAGE DEMIJOHN BOTTLE via jayson home

7. TEXTURED EGG VASE via west elm

inspired by downton abbey

2012-01-16T17:47:00.004-06:00

i have a habit of reading the contributor bios of
every house beautiful i get. in the 02/12 issue,
miles redd mentioned his latest obsession –
the new season of downton abbey.

though i love period drama pieces, i'm ashamed to admit
that i hadn't heard of it, so i spent the next several evenings
watching season 1 on netflix. i, too, am now completely obsessed.

it's no wonder they landed a golden globe for best
television mini-series.

the sets are ravishing; especially, lady mary's bedroom.

the walls are papered in a red and cream print very similar to the

design of this 18th century silk from

the world of ornament put out by taschen.

below are my downton abbey-inspired picks for the bedroom...or any room!

1: antique fashion print; 2: candle wall sconce; 3: octagonal gilt mirror;

4: embroidered velvet pillow; 5: carved and gilded louis xv style canapé

paper snowflakes

2011-12-14T14:58:00.004-06:00

some DIY ornaments for a christmas tree we haven't put up yet.
so far we have a pine wreath that i wish smelled more like pine
and shed fewer needles. how about you?

:: ingredients for layered snowflakes ::

butterfly die cuts

charms

a dash of millinery

assorted origami papers

german dresden embossed remnants from d. blümchen and company

chenille embroidery thread

velvet ribbon

glitter

glue

scissors

instructions and patterns for making your own paper
snowflakes can be found here. if you prefer to make
your own patterns and need a little inspiration, check out
w. a. bentley's book of snowflake photographs;
a favorite on my bookshelf. reminds me of the starn twins.

inspired by – art project

2011-04-04T17:19:00.001-05:00

every so often, i check
in here for some inspiration.
i hope your week is off to a
great start.

clockwise from top left: the golden age by benjamin west; portrait of heinrike dannecker by gottlieb schick; marchesa geronima spinola by anton van dyck; oortrait of a married couple in the park by coques (attributed); proserpine by dante gabriel rossetti; portrait of a lady, called elizabeth, lady tanfield, british school 17th century

boundaries

2011-03-21T17:14:00.000-05:00

"art is a subversive activity. it pushes against
boundaries, even if, at the beginning, those
boundaries are first your own." – david duchemin

taking a photo of someone who is
unaware, and who you don't know
is a part of image making that, for me,
will take some getting used to. it's
something i'm trying to do more of
lately.

i'm still here

2011-02-10T17:46:00.006-06:00

ingrid wrote to me the day before yesterday.
made me realize that i haven't posted here
in awhile.

part of the reason has to do with the time of
year. and the other has to do with some work
i'm developing.

anyway, her message sparked a light in me, so
i want to share some polaroids i took
of my sisters and the lake when i was just 13
years old. i found them this morning as i was
looking through some old photo albums.

::

this is part of a whole series i did of a
balloon race i have no recollection of.
i wrote in marker that this one took
first place. last place landed in the lake
in front of our cabin.

i used to sail. whenever i wasn't racing,

i'd watch the races from shore.

my little sister...one of five. i absolutely love this image

of her. she was always picking up cats - both

ours, the neighbors' cats, and strays like this one,
who thought he might get some food. this was taken

at a place called horshoe bend park where we used

to go for picnics; one of my favorite places

in the whole world.

here she is again at the zoo.

such a beautiful girl.

they all were..are.

this last one made my heart stop,
for written on the back was –

"the first picture i ever took"

rus anson

2010-11-05T17:07:00.007-05:00

today i discovered a new to me
photographer / storyteller...
her name is rosanna, and she
goes by rus.

i found her through the APA awards.
she won 1st place in the student
category. yes, she's a student at the
academy of art university in
san francisco.

i can't even to begin to articulate
how magical the work is that she
captures with the help of stylists,
assistants, hair and makeup, and
models.

she sounds like a beautiful spirit
too. from her about page ~ "i would
like to make people forget the
troubles of the world and concentrate
on their wishes and hopes." i did so
just by looking at her work.

below are some images from the september issue of 7x7. read about the behind-the-scenes here.

i especially love this one, since i have a thing for dressing trees.

and this reminds me so much of anthropologie's november catalog. don't you think?

her work and blog.

my affliction

2010-10-21T10:41:00.046-05:00

it's not a sickness or grief, thank heavens, but rather this – expensive taste.
very expensive. ann getty expensive. the kind that loves ormolu-mounted
porcelain vases, japanned and carved giltwood bureau cabinets, and walls
covered in antique chinese textiles. a bit of a challenge for someone
whose income doesn't come remotely close to satisfying this condition.

just the other day i went to house of fabrics to look for some frames for some
antique botanicals i want to put up in the room makeover and every frame i
picked out was a larson juhl.

and again this morning, i received an email from j.crew about their 20% off
outerwear sale. having worn the same coat for the past 2...or is it 3 winters now,
i don't think i can bear to wear it again this year. besides, it's missing some buttons
and isn't even warm enough for this climate.

anyway, i followed the link, and quickly scanned what they have to offer.
every coat that caught my eye–like this cashmere twill–cost around a grand.
why couldn't i go for something in the under 200 category?

to be honest, even if i had the means to live in a house like the one above
or buy any one of these coats, i know it wouldn't make me any happier
than i already am. and i'm pretty sure i'd be nervous about spilling or
pulling a thread, since i tend to run into things like rose bushes.

how about you? what's your affliction?

image credit: photo by lisa romerein for 1stdibs

the world is a wonderful place

2010-10-19T17:58:00.001-05:00

this past friday, chloe and i had a yard sale.

have you ever had one? if so, you know

how much effort it takes to put one together.

before i began preparing for it, i had grand

aspirations of having everything priced,

fending off the early birds, and selling it all!

the craigslist post and the signs we put up the

night before advertised the sale as beginning at

10:00.

by 11:00 a.m., one person had haggled

me down to $3 for 27 jars of testors paints.

by noon, i began to think i had wasted a lot of

time for nothing.

but as the day went on, things gradually picked

up. though it didn't come close to my expectations

of hundreds of people and hundreds of dollars

made, i did come away with a few wonderful

experiences and learned a few things.

1) giving things away isn't costly and a waste of money
since we weren't about to bring it all back in the house, g. and i went next door to our neighbor and told her she could take whatever she wanted. she chose some books, including a copy of david sedaris's me talk pretty one day, a sisal rug, and a messenger bag she said the boys would get a lot of use out of. all these things had been sitting in our basement forgotten for months. the rest went to big brothers big sisters. to know that someone will actually use these things makes me wish i'd done this sooner.

2) from here on out, we'll buy less because we don't need as much as we thought
how many candleholders do we really need? i told g. the next thing i buy will be something to replace something that's old, like a new cardi-jacket, though i'll need to have a few more yard sales before i add this to my wardrobe.

3) objects that commemorate a life i aspire to but do not have are a burden
there are many, but a perfect example of this is the pilates ball i bought five years ago and used only once. i want to tone my abs and increase my strength, i really do. really? what about the pilates abs rower i purchased last april? turns out no one wanted either one, so i kept both. in this case, the guilt continues.

4) objects that commemorate a life i once had are a burden
i designed jewelry that was picked up by upscale boutiques and anthropologie, and i loved doing it. but that time in my life is over. i have other interests now like photography and writing. all the drawers of beads and lace remind me of this. not that that's a bad thing, but why hold onto these things when people like amy (my last customer) could make her own necklaces from a collection of vintage czech nailhead glass beads?

5) i love talking to people

this was the highlight of the whole day and gave me a chance to meet our neighbors and others who share some of the same interests...like krystal who bought some of g.'s screenwriting books for a friend moving to l.a....and the girl who bought our t.v. combination vcr so her boyfriend could watch his old anime videotapes.

when you take the time to get out there and listen to peoples' stories, you realize the world is a wonderful place.

good things come to those who wait

2010-10-12T17:06:00.000-05:00

we've had this gilded frame
leaning up against a wall
in our studio for a couple
years now. i've been saving it
for something magnificent.
i finally found it rummaging
through g.'s paintings he keeps
stacked on a shelf. and in this
room she now gazes out at us
preserved behind glass.
i love her.

art wall + stairway = accident waiting to happen

2010-10-05T14:22:00.003-05:00

feeling inspired after seeing what
jen did with her new brooklyn
apartment in just 4 weeks, and hating
myself even more for having
empty frames on this wall for almost
a year, i finally filled them with still
lifes, photograms, a sun print, a marbled
endpaper from an old book, and my absolute
favorite...a drawing g. did.

here's a peek of it through the banister.
it's the one of a lady with a tattooed neck
right above the moth.

it lay sequestered away in one of his
sketchbooks until i did a barbaric thing
and released it with an exacto blade.

already, i've nearly toppled a few frames on my way
down the stairs when i should be looking at my feet
and not the art. i'm a bit on the clumsy side, so this
just further complicates things.

in our last apartment, i fell down a flight of stairs
while painting the walls. naturally, i took the gallon
can of chalky white paint with me, which meant the
dingy brown stairs went next on the list of things to touch up.
it ended up being a huge improvement and so it was meant to be.

it seems everywhere i look...

2010-10-01T13:09:00.002-05:00

i see classical sculpture.
have you seen anthropologie's
october catalog?

and this twinkle by wenlan dress?

when i saw the winged figure,
it reminded me of the
victory of samothrace
i wrote about a little
while ago.

i've attempted working with
marble, and have great respect
for those who create something
like this. i once took a class in
marble sculpture through the
smithsonian when we lived in
washington, d.c.

my unfinished project is still at
my in-laws. it's too heavy to
ship, and each time we visit,
i forget to bring it back with me.

i also still have the chisels and rasps,
and though i'll never use
them again, i don't think i'll part
with them. too many great memories...
like meeting g. for indonesian food
and slipping into the national gallery
for some inspiration.

images credits: anthropologie

room makeover - part III

2010-09-21T18:04:00.010-05:00

it's been awhile since i posted about the room makeover, and though we're mid-project,
i thought i'd show you where we are at the moment.

below is a shot of the room as it looked once we moved everything next door. in the corner
is some crown molding we decided to add. g. did an amazing job, especially since he's
never done this before. naturally, the walls aren't true and the miter saw we have is
dull and rusty, so we used molding blocks at the corners to connect the molding.

here is the room mid-makeover with some furniture. for the wall color, we chose a match to
farrow and ball's off-black. it looks black but is in fact a deep, dark prussian blue.
for someone who normally chooses shades of white, gray, and blue when making over rooms,
i didn't know what we were missing! if you're brave enough, you may want to give it a go.

there's still more to be done, like replacing the wood blinds with fabric shades, but next
i'll tackle the walls and hang some art. a couple months ago, i found some antique e.j. lowe
fern prints, which i recently spotted at okl's barbara barry tastemaker sale. the few they had
sold out within the first hour. i nearly fell off my chair when i saw the tag sale price. $649!
the regular price was $1800! though i still need to frame ours, the prints i found locally cost $12.
even if i were to choose a larson-juhl frame & filet, with museum glass and fabric mat,
each framed print will cost around $100. i haven't made up my mind yet, but ours won't
come close – then again, i'm not barbara barry.

the future of my collecting (hoarding)

2010-09-21T15:27:00.015-05:00

lately i've given thought
to the idea of simplifying;
strange for someone who
has accumulated so many
things, like these antique pins.

i can't bear to throw anything away.

i've managed to gather a gigantic
collection of beads, trims, ribbon,
paper goods, books, and textiles
that would send a minimalist
over the edge. at times it has the
same effect on me.

along with collecting (or hoarding),
comes finding an appropriate way to
catalog. i still struggle with this, and
that is the reason why i rarely find
what i'm looking for.

i'm not saying i'm organizationally
challenged. quite the opposite.
i'm a bit like margaret from little britain.
if you have no idea who
i'm talking about, little britain is a
british comedy that you must see
straight away.

to put it another way, i can tell you
the tube of alizarin crimson oil paint
is upstairs in the metal cabinet,
3rd drawer from the top, on the left-hand side,
next to the tube of williamsburg ultramarine.
all this from the living room downstairs.

if i were to sell some of these things,
i'd never make back what i spent.
but if someone is able to make
something beautiful from it...

why keep things i no longer need?
why hold onto things i've never used?

do you struggle with this? are you a
hoarder turned minimalist? if so, i'd love
to hear how you did it, and whether you'll
ever go back.

souvenirs from a morning walk

2010-09-17T10:00:00.001-05:00

cooler weather is finally here.
a chance for longer walks
and gathering things that
catch our eye. the feathers are
what chloe found.

the souls of old things

2010-09-14T16:11:00.002-05:00

this past weekend, i found a box of dolls
i've had since i was a little girl.
i had many more...
but now have only three.
when i went off to college,
my younger sister took over my bedroom,
and my collection of dolls.
she wrote her name on each one with marker.
even today, when i look at these dolls, i think of this
and wonder why she did it.
***

autumn's nectar feast

2010-09-14T14:41:00.002-05:00

the sedum bed is alive with
butterflies of all different kinds
and thankfully...finally...the
honeybees.

each afternoon they all gather
on the clusters of star-like flowers
to share the nectar feast.
*********************

classical art and modern dress

2010-09-13T14:54:00.001-05:00

"it is in the variation and manipulation of a reduced number of basic iconic styles that later artists and contemporary designers have been able to expand on their increasingly inventive interpretations of grecian dress." – harold koda

this post made me realize why
some of my favorite designers
are madeleine vionnet, madame grès,
& claire mccardell, for what i admire
about their oeuvres is the influence of
the art of ancient greece as interpreted
through manipulated and draped cloth.

{symmetrical pleats}

{liquid folds falling on the bias}

{sleeveless bodices}

{bloused}

porch of the karyatids, 420 b.c.

one-shoulder dress in black velvet by vionnet photographed by hoyningen-heune

“grecian” evening dress by madame gres

claire mccardell jersey dress

isabel toledo's diamond draped bodice dresses, finished and unfinished, fall 2005

to learn more ~

the exhibition "goddess" held by the metropolitan museum of art in autumn 2003

women's apparel in ancient greece

image credits: 1, 2, 4) madeleine vionnet by betty kirke; 3) greek museums published by ekdotike athenon s.a.; 5) the curated object; 6) metropolitan museum of art; 7) manila fashion observer

empress leilia

2010-09-10T14:57:00.001-05:00

i found her in the neighbor's driveway
she was flying outside her range
some eight hundred miles away
i wonder how she ended up here?

ads in gmail and your personal data

2010-09-08T11:59:00.001-05:00

according to a google help article, "ads that appear next to gmail messages are similar to the ads that appear next to google search results and on content pages throughout the web. our goal is to provide gmail users with ads that are useful and relevant to their interests."

this morning, g. and i were emailing each other links to books having to do with the subject of happiness. i'm a happy person, and can roll pretty well with the occasional setback that comes along, but there isn't any harm in being happier, right? it was then that i noticed an ad served by google in my gmail that said "beware of garbage trucks."

at first i interpreted it literally and thought it had to do with – look both ways before you cross the street, b/c if you don't you could get mowed down by a truck, which once nearly happened to me in london. then you'll realize how good you had it. right?

a little bit curious and a bona fide sucker for targeted advertising, i clicked on the link and eventually found myself at amazon. the book hasn't been released yet, but it's now in my wish list along with this one reviewed by miss b.

for those wondering (i was), the good news is that no humans read your email. if there were any reading mine, they'd be bored to tears and/or confused esp. with the emails g. and i exchange with a very witty and charming couple in seattle. as the weekend approaches, our inboxes blow up with messages having to do with soccer, beer, hamburger helper, insects, and just this morning...cocktail-slurping squirrels and mine-sniffing rats.

diaphanous drapery

2010-08-30T16:28:00.020-05:00

gossamer...diaphanous drapery
highly expressive, swirling folds
as depicted in paintings and sculpture
makes my heart skip a beat
represented here by some of the greats.

primavera by sandro botticelli

primavera (detail)

portrait of josephine by francois gerard

laure regnaud de saint-jean d'angély by francois gerard

since this post is quickly becoming one about gerard,

here is yet another by him exploring the same

neoplatonic theme as the above primavera.

human soul and divine love united…

psyché et l'amour by francois gerard

another botticelli...incidentally, i was reading here that the plant depicted
in the lower right corner is datura stramonium also known as "poor man's acid"
– a hallucinogen. so perhaps mars isn't just sleeping. i can sleep through severe
thunderstorms, but i'm quite sure trumpet-blowing satyrs would have no trouble waking me.

venus and mars

venus and mars (detail)

the three graces by rubens

lucretia by cranach

perseus and andromeda by anton raphael mengs

morpheus and iris by pierre narcisse guerin

the pleiades by elihu vedder

now let's turn to illusionary transparency as a formal device in sculpture defined in

looking at greek and roman sculpture in stone: a guide to terms, styles and techniques as…

"an impression of a diaphanous fabric for the clothing of a sculpted figure.
It was especially popular among sculptors working in the last thirty years
of the fifth century B.C. In order to appear like gathered and transparent fabric
a successful rendering of illusionary transparency depended on substituting
raised ridges for the incised grooves of the modeling line technique to depict drapery."

venus genitrix , roman copy of 5th century greek original

another roman imperial copy of venus genitrix, late first-early second century AD

three maenads, altar of dionysos, 5th century b.c.

another votary of Dionysos...

relief with a dancing maenad ca. 27 b.c.–14 a.d.; augustan roman copy of a greek relief attributed to kallimachos, ca. 425–400 b.c.

ludovisi throne, early 5th century b.c.

to think that many other objects of art from the same time period were broken,

buried, reused, melted, used as in-fill, sunk and therefore lost forever reminds me of this.

eastern section of the parthenon frieze representing poseidon, apollo and artemis, executed by alkamenes, 447 – 432 b.c.

nike unlacing her sandal from the parapet of the temple of nike, late 5th century b.c.

stele of hegeso, late 5th c.

i realize i'm hopping around in history by adding this two-layered
arabian onyx cameo from after 10 a.d., but look how perfectly it
illustrates the subject. to imagine the gem cutter executing such
incredible detail over an area measuring 7.5 inches tall by 9 inches
wide makes me weak in the knees.

gemma augustea, created by dioscurides or one of his disciples

the nike of paionios, the work of paionios of mende in the chalkidike peninsula, c. 420 b.c.

unlike the nike of paionios, the identity of the sculptor(s) is often unknown.
instead scholars must attribute a work to "the sculptors" or "follower of the sculptor".

such is the case with the winged victory of samothrace, for a dedicatory inscription
has yet to be found. who was this man who sculpted one of the most famous statues
of antiquity? we don't even know your name, except that you may've been from the island of rhodes.

winged victory of samothrace, 190 b.c.

only a handful of greek sculptors are known to us by name, such as
skopas, lysippos, paionios, pheidias and praxiteles, and yet they greatly
influenced the history of sculpture, artists of the italian renaissance, as
well as modern art, fashion and dance. however, as sir john beazley said,
"the name of the artist is of little importance, since we are privileged to
have before us his own work, which conveys the highest artistic messages,
as well as the spiritual and religious exaltation of those distant times."

for a closer look at the winged victory of samothrace

watch a video about the parthenon sculptures

taste and the antique: the lure of classical sculpture, 1500-1900
the beazley archive

image credits: 1-2, 4) wikipedia; 3, 10-11) the hermitage; 5, 14, 23) the louvre; 6-7) the national gallery; 8) museo nacional del prado; 9) gemäldegalerie der akademie der bildenden künste, wien; 12, 15-16) the metropolitan museum of art; 18-20, 22) the greek museums published by ekdotike athenon s.a.; 21) behind the image by federico zeri