Bellini
Bellini is named for Sicily's most famous opera composer, Vincenzo Bellini (1801-35). His best known opera, La Sonnambula, was reportedly Queen Victoria's favorite. Bellini's friends and admirers included such talents as Chopin, Liszt, Schopenhauer, Verdi, and Wagner.
This room setting, with its faux stone archways, columns and railings, was devised as a wall hanging display for figures or reproductions in a miniature theatrical set. An ancient theatre that I visited in Sicily inspired me to create this scene. The dramatic setting and the view beyond the theatre ruins to Mt. Etna reminded me of an island lost in time.
In the background of Bellini, a corner window reveals a view of Roman ruins common in Sicily. The opposing walls of the foreground are mirrored to create an illusion that the room extends forever. A staircase always hints at hidden attractions... in this case two mysteries. One is hidden behind an upstairs doorway and the other beneath, through the arch and behind the draperies. Classical elements include Corinthian capitals and a band of dentils in the cornice.
For more details, click on the thumbnail views below.