Sun Line Shines In Palm Springs

Ocean liner and classic cruise ship enthusiasts will have something to look out for at this year’s Palm Springs Modernism exhibit at the Palm Springs Convention Center. Los Angeles-based Off The Wall Antiques will be displaying two large art panels by the late Emanuele Luzzati that were commissioned by Sun Line for its deluxe cruise ships STELLA MARIS II and STELLA SOLARIS II. Both vessels were designed by the late Nino Zoncada, one of Italy’s most prolific architects and a frequent collaborator with the legendary Gio Ponti.

Modernism 2012 at the Palm Springs Convention Center.

All Photos by and copyright Peter Knego 2012.

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Palm Springs Modernism 2012

Off The Wall Antiques

"Sirens' Song" at Palm Springs Modernism.

STELLA MARIS II was the former German coastal liner BREMERHAVEN and began operating for Sun Line in 1964. The ship was the height of modern luxury with furnishings made by Cassina of Italy and Greek and Minoan-themed artwork by Genoa-based Emanuele Luzzati and Roncole-based Enrico Paulucci.  Both artists contributed a body of work to other important Italian liners including LEONARDO DA VINCI, OCEANIC, AUSONIA and EUGENIO C. Off The Wall Antiques has the “Sirens’ Song” painting by Luzzati on display (and for sale) that was in the ship’s forward lounge.

"Sirens' Song" detail with Odysseus facing off a siren.

One of six such multi-media paintings on the STELLA MARIS II, it measures approximately 105 by 82 inches and depicts Odysseus tied to the mast of his ship as three sirens hover around him.  The Sirens were creatures with the heads of women and the bodies of birds whose songs were so sweet they lured sailors to their deaths.  Odysseus wanted to hear the Sirens, so he had his crew tie him to the mast and had their ears plugged with wax so they would not drive his ship on the rocks.

"Sirens' Song" oarsmen detail.

Luzzati, who was born on 3 June 1921 and died on 27 January 2007, only did this style of painting for the Sun Line ships STELLA MARIS II, STELLA OCEANIS (ex APHRODITE) and STELLA SOLARIS II (ex CAMBODGE) and one outside commission. The master painter, scenic designer, sculptor, animator and author of children’s books has a museum dedicated to his works in Genoa’s Porto Antico district.

"Siren's Song" aft oarsman detail.

Luzzati was of Jewish descent and had to flee Italy for Switzerland in World War Two, where he studied at L’Ecole des Beaux-Arts. When he returned to post-war Italy, he began a number of ocean liner commissions that started with the vastly modernized  CONTE BIANCAMANO. He would go on to work with Gio Ponti, Gustavo Pulitzer-Finale and Zoncada, among other prominent architects and interior designers of the era.

STELLA MARIS II spent her final years laid up in Durban as plans to refit the ship for “party style” cruising came and went. Her final incarnation as the RAZZMATAZZ never came to pass, which might be a good thing, since the owner proposed to paint over or dispose of all of the artwork in a misguided effort to modernize the ship. Instead, she sailed off to Alang, India in 2008, where the artwork and some of the furnishings were purchased by MaritimeMatters’ co-editor Peter Knego. Three panels have gone to a private collection in Trieste, two will remain in Knego’s collection in California and “Sirens’ Song” will be the only one available for sale.

“Sirens’ Song” was lovingly and carefully restored during the past two years by the artisans at Off The Wall Antiques, a well-known Los Angeles-based dealer of furniture and curios that is owned by Dennis Boses, a frequent guest expert on A&E’s hit series, “Storage Wars”. Boses was for many years the sponsor of the annual Modernism Show at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

"Bacchanalia", a nine piece ensemble of hammered brass reliefs from the STELLA SOLARIS' Grill Bar.

“Bacchanalia” is a nine piece hammered brass panel from the Grill Bar on board Sun Line’s ultimate cruise ship, the STELLA SOLARIS II. Nino Zoncada’s final passenger ship, the STELLA SOLARIS was a virtual floating art gallery and featured a vast stockpile of works, including ceramics and double sided screens by Luzzati as well as watercolor-on-melamine paintings by Enrico Paulucci. Arguably the most important work of art from the SOLARIS was “Chariots”, a twenty five foot long multi-media painting that was mounted behind the captain’s table in the ship’s dining room. Off the Wall sold “Chariots” last year to a collector who will be featuring the panel in his Caribbean island home.

“Bacchanalia” depicts feasting and drinking implements such as bread baskets, amphorae and platters rendered in Luzzati’s uniquely Italian midcentury style. He hammered the inverse of the image into thin sheets of brass-coated aluminum, filled in the backs with plaster and mounted it on flat panels. The STELLA SOLARIS had this style of artwork on each of her forward stairtower landings and in a number of public rooms. These panels were laying at a trader’s yard near where the ship was broken up at Alang, India and offered for sale as part of the ship’s bar. Knego bought the bar (which due to its size had to be left behind) pulled the panels out of the mud and carefully refurbished them to their prior glory. This is the last of many such ensembles and it will most likely be the last set of panels by the late Luzzati available anywhere.

SS HAMBURG lights and fixtures (left background), Luzzati's "Sirens' Song" (right background) and "Bacchanalia" (foreground awaiting installation).

Also on display at the Off The Wall booth are the Georg Manner-designed “stop light” fixtures that were located across from the nightclub on board the 1969-built SS HAMBURG (later MAXIM GORKIY). Two ochre colored acrylic, brass and marble lamps from the ship’s Alster Club (later Volga Bar) are being exhibited at the Off The Wall booth, as well.

More Luzzati artwork and Zoncada furniture from the STELLA MARIS II will be available on the MidShipCentury website this spring.

Palm Springs Modernism 2012.

MidShipCentury

Off The Wall Antiques