22 November 2009

"What's wrong with this picture?"

...scrawled my Uncle Mame on this photo of Maryalice Huggins whose book on the stupendous Aesop's Fable mirror behind her was charmingly profiled in the New York Times here.

It took me a minute...

Photo by Erik Jacobs for The New York Times

10 comments:

Reggie Darling said...

The mingey, too close, too small sconces!

An Aesthete's Lament said...

Too many things. The room, the wall, the sconces, the folding chair.

home before dark said...

What fun that Uncle Mame strikes again! Still want the low-down on this delicious character.

Emily Evans Eerdmans said...

Home, that he would take the time to tear this out of the newspaper, put it in an envelope and post it (a Herculean effort for those who know what a lousy correspondent I am) for the sole purpose of quizzing my eye is quintessential Uncle Mame. Too too much.

Anonymous said...

Im baffled why anyone would openly criticize this innocent woman interior whose story in the Times is everything this blog stands for? She doesn't for a moment present herself as a some kind of interiors style maker she is a scholar and craftsperson. Why are we not praising everything about her? "What's wrong this picture?" A another very bad newspaper photograph, nothing new. Let's send her a message of concern.... what is going to happen to her little slice of heaven when Nicolas Cage sells Grey Craig to a developer?

Emily Evans Eerdmans said...

Anonymous, I adored the New York Times story and there was no malicious intent, I assure you. This post was more about the "persnickety-ness" of my uncle which I thought was amusing. (although, after he pointed it out, the sconces do look a little silly next to the glorious mirror, no?)

Indeed, you are too right - we must get down on our knees and hope Grey Craig falls into the right hands. Maybe the Johnsons of Carolands are ready for residence #11?

Blue said...

With that looking glass on the wall why the heck is anyone even noticing the sconces? So, Mame, what is wrong with this picture?

balsamfir said...

Don't you think the photo is bit of a joke? She's hiding it in the guest cottage so it doesn't get hurt.

Penelope Bianchi said...

All I have to say about this picture is: I LOVE THAT MIRROR...NO WONDER IT IS A HIT OF A BOOK.....AND ANYONE WHO WENT ON THIS JOURNEY TO RESTORE THIS AMAZING TREASURE.....IS A STAR!

I have ordered the book....and will treasure reading it.
This woman is very smart......and wise.

All of us in the business of interior design,; antiques......all of the decorative arts.We are judgemental.....otherwise we would not be in business....
However; this tale transcends the norm.

This is a love story.
I can so relate to this.
This woman fell in love with this mirror.....she knew all about her craft....and adopted this piece of art.
And then.....she spent years and a lot of money to restore it......(way more than you can imagine)......(more money and more hours)... than even made sense.........and then she wrote a book about the experience. Who would think it would be a best-seller?

This is more than a tale about a woman and a mirror.

and the picture....actually fit the article perfectly!
she doesn't care about the sconces....or the folding chair.
She isn't a decorator....nor does she pretend to be one.
She fell in love......and fulfilled her dream of restoring a masterpiece.....and she shared it with us!
For shame anyone criticized any of it!

I was so uplifted to read it! Very few people would spend the time and effort......and I also LOVED LOVED her house!!

My two cents!
Penelope
i say BRAVO!! AND I am going right straight to amazon.....to order it NOW!!!

Penelope

pve design said...

The sconces clearly need a smaller, simpler mirror and that regal mirror needs "candlelight"and she needs a ballgown to go with--Ha
-
pve