These rather beautiful pictures belong to a house in Marrakesh - the Jardin Majorelle. The fashionistas amongst you will recognise this as the home of the late Yves St Laurent. Before YSL bought the house in 1980 and restored it, it had been open to the public in the 1940's and 1950's before falling into disrepair. You can find out all about the house and garden at this website - Jardin Majorelle.
(The blog I found these pictures on by the way is called The House in Marrakesh)
It also reminds me how dependent colours are on the light in which we see them. This intensity of colour is only ever found in countries with really bright sunshine. You never see this vividness in Northern European countries. When you buy a can of Ultramarine Blue paint it never colours up the same as the picture in the coffee table art book you first saw it.
That said I still find this blue extraordinary.
The same problem of light also occurs when you try and explain how red the sand is in Central Australia. We didn't visit there on our trip this time so Sonya et al can't vouch for me but I remember being stunned by the colour when I visited Alice Springs many years ago. Until people from England have visited Africa or Australia they just don't know what you are talking about when you tell them the light is different.
Yes a fabulous colour - ultramarine, cobalt?
ReplyDeleteThere are a couple of interesting colour toys/tools here:
http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Nathan_Moroney/
I've been there, it really is that lovely, if, with an air of faded grandeur.
ReplyDelete