Trompe-l’œil

Marbles

Through her teaching at Van Der Kelen, Blanca has acquired a certain biological and geological knowledge of the materials she imitates, as well as historical knowledge of their decorative uses in time and space. She benefits from an understanding of the natural behaviors of the woods, marbles, precious stones and noble materials she reproduces.

Marble inlay (Pietra dura) and Renaissance decorations

This marquetry, typical of the Renaissance and widely revisited through the ages, was spotted by Blanca in the Château de Groussay sales catalog. It was featured on a pedestal table top. The idea then occurred to her to create her own version, to be displayed on the floor as a tribute to the Italian marquetry she had admired since childhood. 60 scales were designed, 60 marbles were chosen, arranged and painted by the artist around a Medusa resting on malachite and a Greek frieze that calms and orders the whole. Originally, the medallions featured the Percée coat of arms, but in this version Blanca has inserted her favorite mythological creatures as signatures. Deep-blue lapis lazuli provides a precious contrast, before being encircled by a final green marble to seal the whole.

Mixed Campan

Campan is a marble from the Pyrenees region. It comes in green, banded, pink and red, but the most beautiful species is mixed campan, also known as campan grand mélange. Quarried from ancient times to the end of the 20th century, marble was used extensively to decorate the Château de Versailles. In fireplaces, in columns (pink Campan for the Grand Trianon), but also in wall panel decorations due to the high pictorial quality of its motifs. The Queen's staircase, for example, is mainly decorated with green and mixed campan veneers.

other marbles

  • Faux marbre

    Floral blue

  • Faux Marbre

    Sienna yellow and levanto moldings

  • Faux Marbre

    Yellow onyx from Algeria

  • Faux marbre

    Yellow onyx from Algeria

  • Faux marbre peinture

    Portor

  • Faux marbre peinture

    Pavonazzo in relief and comblanchien

  • Faux marbre peinture

    Floral yellow and saint anne moldings

  • Faux marbre

    Carrara white and Belgian blue

Grand antique

Marbre prestigieux et d’un style admirable, formé au cours du Crétacé inférieur Aptien et Albien (100 à 120 MA) employé de manière décorative depuis sa découverte au IIIe ou IVe siècle jusqu’à nos jours. Ses grains fermes, son fond noir veiné de blanc en grands dessins lui donnent son allure de brèche majestueuse. A Rome, le ciborium de Sainte Cécile du Trastevere et le candélabre de Sainte Marie Majeure sont de beaux exemples romains, tandis qu’à Byzance il orne en panneaux décoratifs les murs de la Hagia Sophia. Après la fermeture des carrières, les blocs déjà extraits furent utilisés pour la Basilique Saint Pierre de Rome, la Basilique Saint Marc à Venise et Westminster à Londres. Exploité ensuite en intermittence, le décorateur emblématique de l’Art-Déco Emile Jacques Ruhlmann en fait une de ses signatures. Fermées à nouveau en 1948, les carrières sont rachetées et rouvertes en 2012. Elles se trouvent près d’Aubert-Moulis dans les Pyrénées françaises.