Oscar Wilde said "Life imitates art far more than art imitates life."
That quote makes me think about the art we have surrounded ourselves with, especially in the wine country and how the inspiration for that art is surrounding us outside.
A simple basket of table grapes like this, the subject of the painting above, circa 1904.
It's harvest time, and the grapes on the vine are about to become wine! Isn't this such a beautiful site!
Grapes were one of the earliest cultivated fruits on earth, dating back to 6000 BC in Mesopotamia! I'm quite certain man has also been trying to capture the art form of the grape ever since!
Like this botanical of the Grenache grape.
Or this botanical of the Pinot Noir grape.
These botanicals are part of a series I have collected, most of them found at flea markets.
This one is the Semillon grape.
It reminds me of these grapes hanging from our arbor outside. Early in the season, they looked like Chardonnay grapes.
This pair of Italian tole grape sconces in our kitchen looks like of a cluster of Cabernet grapes.
Like these Cabernet grapes which have most likely already been harvested for the 2010 vintage!
Another "art imitating life" painting sits in the pine hutch and is one of my favorites.
This old oil in our dining room at home is a fine example of artist Irving Bacon's attempt to capture the grape harvest, circa late 1800's.
For me, just photographing the grapes, trying to capture the afternoon light on the clusters is my attempt at "art imitating life."
And to take it a step further, here I tried to capture my favorite painting at night with it's sepia tones from the candlelight. Is this "life imitating art, imitating life?"
Either way, life goes on, and so let the harvest begin! Here's hoping 2010 will be a great vintage.
After all, as Galileo said; "The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do."
I'm joining Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday.
There is always lots of inspiration there, so check it out.
