Bernini’s Bees Fabric in Blazer Blue
This dynamic, camouflage-like print is inspired by the archives of textile design studio Farkas-Ortenzi, of Como, Italy during the 1960s-70s. The source artwork is hand-drawn in ink, and thus contains tiny irregularities (and a few hidden daisies).
This dynamic, camouflage-like print is inspired by the archives of textile design studio Farkas-Ortenzi, of Como, Italy during the 1960s-70s. The source artwork is hand-drawn in ink, and thus contains tiny irregularities (and a few hidden daisies).
This dynamic, camouflage-like print is inspired by the archives of textile design studio Farkas-Ortenzi, of Como, Italy during the 1960s-70s. The source artwork is hand-drawn in ink, and thus contains tiny irregularities (and a few hidden daisies).
ABOUT FARKAS-ORTENZI
The design studio overlooking Lake Como was founded in 1955 by Italian artist Francesco Ortenzi and his brother-in-law Paolo Farkas, who fled from Hungary during the war. They were known for graphic two-color textile designs, and their work was used widely on many projects from interiors, to fashion, to ceramics. Their studio was a pioneer in the Como textile industry, and later became an art academy that welcomed students worldwide from the 1960s-1990s.
ABOUT BERNINI’S BEES
The mix of delicate, stained-glass-like linework with bold blocks of color reward a close look. The composition creates a sense of motion, as though the bees are busy at work. Described as the “birds of the muses” by ancient Greeks, the bee holds significance in mythology. Bees are associated with Cupid, the god of love, from the ancient poem Cupid Stealing Honey, because love can be both sweet like honey, and stinging like a bee. This print name refers to the Baroque sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who incorporated bee carvings into monuments across Rome, including on fountains, crests, and palace walls that can still be seen today.