Category Archives: Art

50s Retro, Art, Ethel Mertz, Figurines, Florence Ceramics, Framed Prints, Monte Carlo

The Mertzes in Monte Carlo: Nicholas Lancret Framed Print

October 20, 2015 Patricia

On the wall of the Mertzes Monte Carlo hotel room is a well known Nicholas Lancret framed print called La Camargo Dancing. Also seen on the chest of drawers beside the door is a figurine we saw in the Mertzes Connecticut home in another I Love Lucy episode. A figurine of a colonial lady, Florence Ceramics “Charmaine”.

Nicolas+Lancret+La+Camargo+Dancing — Nicholas Lancret La Camargo Dancing Nicolas Lancret – La Camargo – c.1730, oil on canvas Washington, National Gallery of Art, Andrew W. Mellon Collection – © Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

The woman dancing in the painting is Marie Anne de Cupis de Camargo a famous French/Belgian ballet dancer known as La Camargo. She was first woman to execute the entrechat quatre, the first dancer to wear slippers instead of heeled shoes, and also first to wear the shorter calf-length ballet skirt and the now standard ballet tights.

Reference:

Art, Framed Prints, Monte Carlo

Lucy Goes to Monte Carlo: George Bickham Framed Print

October 19, 2015 Patricia

lucy-montecarlo — Lucy in Monte Carlo- A framed musical print on the wall from The Musical Entertainer (George Bickham Jr.)

On the wall of the Ricardo’s Monte Carlo hotel room is a framed print of an antique song sheet.

The Musical Entertainer George Bickham Jr

The sheet music is reproduced from an original copper plate print by engraver George Bickham. The sheet of music entitled “Reason for Loving” is from an antique song book The Musical Entertainer circa 1737 and 1739 Vol II. The book in two volumes can be viewed or downloaded at: http://imslp.org/wiki/The_Musical_Entertainer_(Bickham_Jr.,_George)

Similar framed vintage prints can be found on eBay:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=George+Bickham+Musical+Entertainer+&_sacat=0

Art, Framed Prints, I love Lucy Props, Mid-century, Utrillo

Update: Utrillo Print

October 9, 2015 Patricia

Vintage prints of the 1922 Utrillo picture seen on I Love Lucy seem to be quite rare. There is one on offer online CLICK HERE to see it – still available as of Oct 9 2015 – I don’t know the size.

Read more about the picture in my previous post:

http://www.50slucy.com/i-love-lucy-prop-utrillo-painting-print.html

50s Retro, Art, Framed Prints, I love Lucy Props, Margo Alexander, Mid-century

Margo Alexander print on I Love Lucy

June 30, 2015 Patricia

Margo Alexander Framed Picture in The Ricardo's Apartment — Margo Alexander Framed Picture in The Ricardo’s Apartment

margoalexanderfarmprint — Margo Alexander Studio Print

Here is another Margo Alexander print seen on the I Love Lucy set. This one is seen in the early episodes as one of three landscape prints on the back wall of the living room set. Later, after the Ricardo’s move to the bigger apartment it can occasionally be seen above the mantel alcove over the livingroom fireplace, as seen in the publicity picture below

I-love-lucy-decor-framed-print
Here we see the Margo Alexander picture indicated by an arrow uppermost above the fireplace. Below it are a pair of E Melvin Bolstad prints we looked at in this post.
More about Margo Alexander in this earlier post Here.

Find Margo Alexander on eBay

Art, Framed Prints, I love Lucy Props, Utrillo

Utrillo Mont Cenis Prints

April 5, 2015 Patricia

PROP PAINTING SCREEN-USED ON I LOVE LUCY (2) — Maurice Utrillo Framed Print on the back wall of the I Love Lucy set

Seen on eBay this week are two Utrillo prints similar to the one on I Love lucy – although a slightly different version – Utrillo painted this scene several times. Also a mid-century ornate frame below to recreate the look of the one on the show. The exact print in I Love Lucy is hard to find. Click on the images to view the eBay listings.

Mont-Cenis Street under the Snow, 1917 - Maurice Utrillo — Mont-Cenis Street under the Snow, 1917 – Maurice Utrillo

Le Cercle Catholique du Sacre-Coeur, Rue du Mont-Cenis a Montamartre (1912)

Above is a Hollywood Regency frame in a similar style to the one on the show that should fit the above prints – its on ebay this week Click Here to view

Click here for earlier post about the original Utrillo print on I Love Lucy

Art, Paris, Travel

Lucy’s Paris Painting

February 19, 2015 Patricia

lucysparisartistpainting
In the I Love Lucy Season 5 episode Paris at Last Lucy sets out to explore Paris and “discovers” an artist whose paintings she hopes will become valuable some day. However Lucy’s meets another kind of artist – a con artist. The painting Lucy buys is a view of Notre Dame Cathedral from the Left Bank. Of course this scene is filmed in the studio, however assuming the “artist” is painting the scene before him, this places Lucy and the artist Charpentier in the vicinity of Quai Saint Michel. The building with the awning to the right of the painting is Hotel Le Notre-Dame SAINT-MICHEL which I recognized immediately because it is where I stayed when I was in Paris a few weeks ago. It is an interesting boutique hotel in a listed Paris building, with interior decor by Christian Lacroix. It’s a great location for exploring the area and we had a view of Notre Dame from the room and a Brasserie on the ground floor under the awning. Just around the corner is the famous Shakespeare & Co bookstore.

parispaintings — View of Notre Dame from Quai Saint-Michel, Paris

notredame — Google Maps View of Quai Saint-Michel, Paris, Hotel Notre Dame on the right – click for Google street view

americanexpressparis1950s — Establishing shot of **American Express at 11 Rue Scribe, Paris,** from I Love Lucy episode Paris at Last

Incidentally, Lucy meets the artist in front of the American Express office, a film clip of American Express at 11 Rue Scribe, Paris, is used to establish the scene. This is approx 2 miles away from the Notre Dame location the artist is supposed to be painting.

amex-11-rue-scribe — American Express building at 11 Rue Scribe, Paris, in Google Maps

The American Express building at 11 Rue Scribe, Paris, is now home to a Nespresso Cafe and is no longer an American Express office.

Art, Utrillo

A Visit to Montmartre

January 25, 2015 Patricia

I have just returned from a trip to Paris with my daughter Deirdre who is a photographer. We spent some time in Montmartre which is the setting for many of Utrillo‘s paintings including “The Restaurant on Mont Cenis” a print of which is seen on the I Love Lucy living room set. I will follow up with some pictures I took of the location. (Le Consulat bistro seen in the picture above was the subject of another of Utrillos’s paintings).

Meanwhile here is link to some of Deirdre’s photos from the trip :
http://prints.deirdrehayesphotography.com/Paris

Art, Framed Prints, I love Lucy Props

Lucy’s French Fashion Prints

January 13, 2015 Patricia

mode illustree prints

Peter is back with another great find to share with us. ( See also his previous contribution on the mantel lusters )

Peter writes “The pair of french fashion prints can be found to the right of the kitchen door in the first couple of seasons. They first appear in “The Marriage License” episode then last until she gets new furniture and replaces them with the Trend banjo clock. You can then spot them in the Mertz’s apartment until they move to the country.

French Fashion Prints from La Mode Ilustree

They were prints from La Mode Illustree and can easily be found on eBay but the trick is to find the illustrations that were used on the show. Here’s a link to a set that sold recently: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Oval-Framed-Fashion-Prints-La-Mode-Illustree-set-of-2-/261700000496”

See More like this on eBay

Art

Lucy’s Bedroom Decor: Military Portrait

January 11, 2015 Patricia 3 Comments

A framed military portrait is seen above in the bedroom set of I Love Lucy on top of a chest of drawers. It is a portrait print of Major John Biddle by the 19th century portraitist Thomas Sully (1783-1872). the original hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Biddle (1792-1859) served in the army in the War of 1812 when he was only 20 and he stayed in the army until 1821.

Copies of the print are available on ebay HERE

Or download a digital image to print from: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_Sully_-_Portrait_of_Major_John_Biddle.jpg

Art, Framed Prints, I love Lucy Props, Utrillo

Vintage copy of Utrillo Painting

December 29, 2014 Patricia

Maurice Utrillo inspired Painting 12" x 16" on artists board — Maurice Utrillo inspired Painting 12″ x 16″ on artists board

On eBay currently is a vintage painting that appears to be copy of Utrillo’s painting “Restaurant au Mont Cenis” even including the signature. I Love Lucy fans will recognize the scene from the Utrillo Print of the same name that hung on the wall of the Ricardo’s livingroom. Click on the picture above to see the item on eBay.
Read more about the original Utrillo prop print from the show here

50's Lucy Fan