Carl Laubin, Vanbrugh Fields ©Carl Laubin/Plus One Gallery
Carl Laubin is an artist who is passionate about architecture. Many of his works are in the tradition of the capriccio, or imaginary landscape. Laubin combines an element of fantasy with a meticulous attention to detail, using historical sources to document the buildings he is painting.
Laubin will be having an exhibition at the Plus One Gallery in London from 8 June until 2 July 2011. Among the works on show will be Vanbrugh Fields, a painting celebrating the buildings of Sir John Vanbrugh. The capriccio format allows Laubin to depict the architecture as it was designed rather than as it was eventually built (or not built), in its ideal state.
Carl Laubin, National Trust capriccio. ©NTPL/John Hammond
Castle Howard (top right, on the hill), for instance, is shown with its now demolished entrance gate. The bridge at Blenheim (lower right) has its intended grand superstructure, which was never completed after the Duchess of Marlborough fell out with the architect.
As a tribute to Vanburgh’s conservation efforts at Blenheim, Laubin shows a whisp of smoke coming out one of the chimneys at Woodstock Manor (far right, just below the brow of the hill) – Vanburgh admired the picturesque building, lived in it for a while and wanted to preserve it, but the Duchess had it swept away. And can you spot Seaton Delaval Hall, which the National Trust acquired last year?
Carl Laubin, Fallen beech with prospect of Cliveden. ©NTPL
The National Trust commissioned a few paintings from Laubin some years ago, including National Trust capriccio, showing the buildings of architectural significance owned by the NT. Fallen beech with prospect of Cliveden commemorates the damage done by the great storm of 1987.
I will follow this up next week with a post showing the successive stages of development of another recent painting by Laubin, Vanbrugh’s castles.
May 18, 2011 at 15:21 |
I will be in London the week before the exhibition closes and now there’s one more thing to look forward to. I really am looking forward to seeing these paintings!
May 19, 2011 at 06:39 |
a thousand pities the duchess interfered with genial Vanbrugh’s plans.the bridge at Blenheim could still be completed with its top works.whilst i’m spending money Westminster abbey definitely needs something on its stump of a tower and i think Well’s towers need a few pointy bits….
May 19, 2011 at 07:57 |
Barry, glad to have supplied an item for your itinerary
Graham, you are obviously a modern-day Viollet-le-Duc
Perhaps you should paint your own capriccio showing medieval cathedrals correctly finished with all the requisite spires.
May 19, 2011 at 20:17 |
Wells’s tower I should have typed!Thanks for this post Emile,Carl Laubin is quite a favourite of mine.Yes, that would be some capriccio;”English cathredrals completed properly.”