We never really took a close a look at the intact brownstone block of West 136th Street between FDB/8th Avenue and ACP/7th Avenue until recently and noticed some major sculptural bas-relief work on the century-old townhouses. There are the typical urn and wreath motifs but it's the mythological aspects that really peaked our visual interest. One can find classic Greek gods and satyrs abundant above the portico pediments and under window lintels in many of well maintained buildings (click on images to enlarge). There are also various creatures including what appeared to be a lioness and a pair of rare dragons that were quite unusual (lower photo). For those interested in brownstone facades, the surprise to this particular Central Harlem block is the variety found and that the surfaces have held up enough so that one can see all the details. Definitely worth checking out.
Really beautiful stuff. I'm so glad that so much of this is now being preserved or retouched.
ReplyDeleteI assume these homes where constructed at the same time and by the same developer, but effort was made to differentiate the facades with textures, details and motifs giving them less of a cookie cutter look. This beautiful work has been hand carved into the soft sandstone and not only demonstrates beautiful craftsmanship but also an understanding of the soft brownstone as it has survived a century of harsh weather. Great story.
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