Hoarders: Stibbert Style

I knew I had found the right place by the looks of the expansive gardens and well decorated wall of plaques, crests, and stone animal heads. As for the inside of the buildings - there was just so much stuff! At times I was overwhelmed by the decadence of the rooms and the intricateness of the details of… everything! From the room literally covered from wall to wall and floor to ceiling in decorated tiles to the vintage, ornate mirrors and colorful stained glass, no room was left undecorated. The vast amounts of furniture, porcelain, paintings, chandeliers, portraits, and tapestries – each piece seemingly more lavish than the last, was mind blowing.

Pictures: Property of Stibbert Museum

While I’m not personally a huge fan of armor, this collection managed to catch my attention. The ornate detailing on each of the pieces of armor and weaponry was astounding (as was the sheer number of objects in his collection). It seemed like a never ending flow of swords, daggers, spears, and other forms of weapons. It was also nice to see the contrast between the three most typical styles of armor: German, Italian, and Muslim. The German armor seemed almost sturdier and more practical, not dissimilar to typically German values. The Italian armor was slightly more bold color with a hint of Italian history in the presence of the finely decorated textiles. The Muslim armor was quite boring in comparison to the other two styles. It was grey and mostly chain mail. It also seemed lighter in comparison to the other two European styles. While there were many basic differences between the three styles of armor, each was decorated just as finely as the next.

One of the more famous rooms, Sala della Cavalcata (Hall of the Cavalcade), showcases armor from different countries (around the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, India), modeled on knights riding horses. It was here the differences in culture became most obvious. It was so interesting to think that something as simple as armor could be interpreted in so many ways.

As mentioned in class, Stibbert’s bedroom is literally the smallest room in the house. I really appreciated this fact because I think it’s nice that for once, an art collector of his status with a collection so grand, really wants to place the emphasis on his art. If I ever had the chance to meet Stibbert, I can only imagine he would be quite humble, and love talking about his travels!

Unfortunately the Stibbert museum didn’t seem so keen on labeling items so learning more about the artifacts was extremely difficult and mildly frustrating.

I really enjoyed the “una teenager nella moda” exhibit, especially because of my recent visit to the Ferragamo museum in Florence. Giovanna Ferragamo’s style and designs are true to the Ferragamo name: classic. Her style has very clean cut lines that draw the eye to all of the right places. The clothes are slightly conservative (as is common with Ferragamo), but are also very feminine (as well as surprisingly modern for something from over 50 years ago), playing up the best assets of women and empowering them through fashion. In this exhibition, she used the classic black and white color scheme, bold colors, and plunging necklines (on her evening dresses) to make a statement.