The insides of rooms, mostly in Vienna. If you stare at them long enough you can time travel back long enough to take a nap on the sofa. Austrian artist, Rudolf Ritter van Alt. Living from 1812 to 1905, he studied at the  Akademie der bildenden Künste in Vienna. Part of a 19th century fashion for having watercolor portraits done of the rooms in your mansion.


The Morning Room of the Palais Lanckoronski, Vienna. 1881. Austrian. Watercolor heightened with white on paper. Private collection. Image source: the-athenaeum.org. Artwork in the public domain in the United States because the artist died over 100 years ago. via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rudolf_Ritter_von_Alt_004.jpg
Salon in the Apartment of Count Lanckoroński in Vienna. 1881. Austrian. Watercolor heightened with white on paper. Collection of Thomas le Claire, art dealer, Hamburg as of 2003. Image source: Image source: the-athenaeum.org. Artwork in the public domain in the United States because the artist died over 100 years ago. via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rudolf_Ritter_von_Alt_002.jpg
 Innenansicht des Palmenhauses von Schloss Eisgrub. 1842. Austrian. Watercolor. Collections of the Liechtenstein Museum, Vienna. In the public domain in the United States because the artist died over 100 years ago. via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rudolf_von_Alt_011.jpg

Rooms to gaze at while everyone who lives there is out for the day. Danish. Christian Tilemann-Petersen, artist. Living from 1874 to 1926, he is known for his depictions of interiors and architecture.

 Interiør fra Eremitagen. 1917. Danish. Oil on canvas. Signed and dated 1917 Christian Tilemann-Petersen on the bottom left. Image source: bruun-rasmussen.dk. In the public domain in the United States because the artist died over 80 years ago. via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christian_Tilemann-Petersen_-Interi%C3%B8r_fra_Eremitagen-_1917.png


 Interiør fra Rosenborg Slot. 1921. Danish. Oil on canvas. Signed and dated Christian Tilemann-Petersen 1921 on the lower left. Image source; bruun-rasmussen.dk. Artwork itself in the public domain in the United States because the artist has been dead over 80 years. via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christian_Tilemann-Petersen_-Interi%C3%B8r_fra_Rosenborg_Slot-_1921.png



Castle interior. 1908. Danish. Oil on canvas. Image ©2021 Artnet Worldwide Corporation.  Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via http://www.artnet.com/artists/christian-tilemann-petersen/castle-interior-h-72m2h6gL071kJlyAmx9Q2

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Decorate every room in your home in Gothic Revival with no faux pas. Go shopping with “Pugin’s Gothic furniture” put out by Augustus Pugin in 1830 and published by R. Ackermann in London. Pugin did work at the Palace of Westminster, too.

“Group of Gothic Furniture.” Frontispiece. 1830. Page 5. Collections of and digitalized by the Getty Research Institute. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/puginsgothicfurn00pugi_0/page/n5/mode/1up
“Decorations and Furniture of a Room.” Title page. 1830. Page 6. Collections of and digitalized by the Getty Research Institute. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/puginsgothicfurn00pugi_0/page/n6/mode/1up
“Horizontal Grand Piano Forte.” 1830. Page 10. Page 5. Collections of and digitalized by the Getty Research Institute. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/puginsgothicfurn00pugi_0/page/n10/mode/1up

More coming.

Sitting down to tea with Austrian still life painter Lea Reinhart. Living from 1877 to 1970, she probably studied at the Vienna Art School for Women.

“Still Life with Antiques,.” Undated. Austrian. Oil on panel. Signed “L. Reinhart.” © Estate of the artist. Image © 2021 Dorotheum GmbH & Co KG. Fair use license. via https://www.dorotheum.com/en/l/580154/
“Still Life with Antiquities and Strawberries.” Undated. Austrian. Oil on panel. Signed “L. Reinhart.” © Estate of the artist. Fair use license. via https://www.tuttartpitturasculturapoesiamusica.com/2017/03/Lea-Reinhart.html and dorotheum.com.
Still life. Undated. Austrian. Oil on panel. Signed “L. REINHART” on the upper left. © Estate of the artist. © Bonhams 2001-2021. Fair use license. via https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/22689/lot/309/

Dutch men and women going along and living life. Painted by Dutch Golden Age artist Pieter Janssens Elinga. Living from 1623 to 1682, he mostly painted domestic interior scenes.

“Room in a Dutch house”. 1655. Dutch. Oil on canvas. Collections of the State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg. Image source: Jane023. Cc0 License 1.0. via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dutch_Masters_from_the_Hermitage_20180411_23.jpg
Interior with Painter, Woman Reading and Maid Sweeping. 1666.Dutch. Oil. Collections of the  Städel Museum, Frankfurt. In the public domain in the United States because the artist died over 100 years ago. via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1668_Elinga_Interieur_mit_lesender_Dame_und_kehrender_Magd_anagoria.JPG
Interior scene. 17th c. Dutch. Signed “PJE” as a monogram. Collections of the Hallwyl Museum, Stockholm. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/interior-scene-pieter-janssens-elinga/ewGcX0hqwXL-6w

Aspirational decor to spruce up your home for when the Prince Regent stops by. Illustrations from the 1816 work by H. Repton, Esquire and his son J. Adey Repton , F.A.S, “Fragments on the theory and practice of landscape gardening : including some remarks on Grecian and Gothic architecture.” Published in London.

“Window at Barningham.” Page 75. Collections of the University of Wisconsin. Artwork in the public domain due to age. via https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ARNROAEXKQQ7R38Y/pages/ACB3R7B4CWXU3F8J
“Window at Barningham.” Page 76. Collections of the University of Wisconsin. Artwork in the public domain due to age. via https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ARNROAEXKQQ7R38Y/pages/AAO7SHRC5YAGOK8J
“Barningham Hall, Norfolk/. J. T. Mott Esquire.” (stairhall detail). Page 78. Collections of the University of Wisconsin. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ARNROAEXKQQ7R38Y/pages/ABO74KVBEQUXAP8U
Interior with chairs with red upholstery.(upper image) Page 113. Collections of the University of Wisconsin. Artwork in the public domain due to age. via https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ARNROAEXKQQ7R38Y/pages/AGO5PWJ3Q47FA78R
Interior with bookcases. Page 113. Collections of the University of Wisconsin. Artwork in the public domain due to age. via https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ARNROAEXKQQ7R38Y/pages/AGO5PWJ3Q47FA78R
“The Vinery.” Page 210. Collections of the University of Wisconsin. Artwork in the public domain due to age. via https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ARNROAEXKQQ7R38Y/pages/AONVN57XL7RQWE8L
“The Rosary at Ashridge.” Page 233, Collections of the University of Wisconsin. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ARNROAEXKQQ7R38Y/pages/AQK27H2O2PZW5D8K

How to dress up the house for when the empress comes to call. Plates from “Recueil de décorations intérieures,” published for Napoleon and his Josephine. All of these from Cahier 3 which appeared in 1801. French. Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, creators.

Vue perspective de la Chambre à coucher du Cit. V. à Paris.” Plate 13. Collections of the University of Wisconsin. Artwork in the public domain due to age. via https://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/DLDecArts/DLDecArts-idx?type=article&did=DLDecArts.PercierIII.i0003&id=DLDecArts.PercierIII&isize=M&q1=Percier
“Lit du Cit. V. exécuté par Alex Regnier.” Plate 14. Collections of the University of Wisconsin. In the public domain due to age. via https://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/DLDecArts/DLDecArts-idx?type=article&did=DLDecArts.PercierIII.i0004&id=DLDecArts.PercierIII&isize=M&q1=Percier
“Camées peints sur Email, placés dans la traverse du Lit.” Plate 15. Collections of the University of Wisconsin. In the public domain due to age. via https://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/DLDecArts/DLDecArts-idx?type=article&did=DLDecArts.PercierIII.i0005&id=DLDecArts.PercierIII&isize=M&q1=Percier
“Peintures exécutées dans les Panneaux de la Chambre du Cit. V.” Plate 16. Collections of the University of Wisconsin. Artwork in the public domain due to age. via https://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/DLDecArts/DLDecArts-idx?type=article&did=DLDecArts.PercierIII.i0006&id=DLDecArts.PercierIII&isize=M&q1=Percier
“Peintures exécutées dans divers Panneaux de la Chambre du Cit. V.” Plate 17. Collections of the University of Wisconsin. Artwork in the public domain due to age. via https://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/DLDecArts/DLDecArts-idx?type=article&did=DLDecArts.PercierIII.i0007&id=DLDecArts.PercierIII&isize=M&q1=Percier
“Vases exécutés dans la Maison de Me … à Paris.” Plate 18. Collections of the University of Wisconsin. Artwork in the public domain due to age. via https://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/DLDecArts/DLDecArts-idx?type=article&did=DLDecArts.PercierIII.i0008&id=DLDecArts.PercierIII&isize=M&q1=Percier

Paintings of rooms in people’s houses just a while ago. Plenty of time to examine the decor before they come back. Danish. Hans Hilsøe, artist (1871-1942).

Interior scene. Undated. Danish. Oil on canvas. Signed “H. HILSØE” on the lower right. Image
© Bonhams 2001-2021. Fair use license. via https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/18859/lot/3/
“Kamma Rahbeks Dagligstue.” Undated. Danish. Oil on canvas. Signed. Image © 2021 Mutual Art Services, Inc. Fair use license. via https://www.mutualart.com/Artwork/-Kamma-Rahbeks-Dagligstue-/03858D8C87635BB1
A room with a view. Undated. Danish. Oil on canvas. Signed. Image © 2021 Thomas Fine Art. Fair use license. via https://thomasfineart.net/product/a-room-with-a-view-hans-hilsoe/

Dreamy images from “Plans, elevations, sections, and details of the Alhambra,” Volume 1. A collaboration of Owen Jones, Jules Goury, and Pascual de Gayangos. Published between 1842 and 1845.

“Divan – Patio de la Alberca.” Page 90. Collections of the Smithsonian Libraries. In the public domain. via https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/planselevations1gour-0
“Alhambra, Sala de la Barca. Details des Grande Arcs dans le salle de la Barque.Plan de Pendentis. Page 96. Collections of the Smithsonian Libraries. In the public domain. via https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/planselevations1gour-0
“Alhambra, fentre dans alcove, salle des Soeurs.” Page 156. Collections of the Smithsonian Libraries. In the public domain. via https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/planselevations1gour-0

I wish I could say I found this one. I know of many Owen Jones folios with wonderful imagery but this one about the Alhambra I had no idea it existed. I found it through my good friend who posts Islamic art who is on Twitter at @ReemK10 and on Instagram at @paperpills10 who I thank very much. If you enjoy Islamic art, please check out her posts which are wonderful. This is only three images and there are two volumes of them.

Paintings of the Grand Gallery in the Louvre in Paris with a fair number of people milling around. French, painted by Hubert Robert who after managing to escape the guillotine ended up as the first “keeper of paintings” at the Louvre.

“Projet d’aménagement de la Grande Galerie du Louvre.” 1796. French. Oil on canvas. Collections of the Louvre Museum, Paris. In the public domain because the artist died over 100 years ago. via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hubert_Robert_-Projet_d%27am%C3%A9nagement_de_la_Grande_Galerie_du_Louvre(1796).JPG
“The Grand Gallery in the Louvre, between 1801 and 1805.” Early 19ith c. French. Collections of the Louvre Museum, Paris. Image © Photos.com/Jupiter Images. Fair use license. via https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hubert-Robert