A Marble Quarry Reception

Fusing the raw with the refined, a tablescape dripping with mood and intrigue set in Italy’s rugged Carrara quarry…

From the creative minds of stylist Alice Bracciali and photographer Stefano Santucci, comes a moment dripping in mood and intrigue, a visual feat laced with textural beauty set in the rugged terrain of Carrara’s renowned marble quarry.

Drawing inspiration from the natural world, time, and the love stories entwined throughout, a concept was formed, coalescing the ancient, modern, futuristic and classical. Fusing the raw with the refined, the considered with the unexpected, this styled shoot pays homage to the poetry of landscape. How it shapes our lives, our art and our love, while transcending the ages with both magic and meaning.

Against a backdrop of raw, fragmented cliffs that create intrigue for the eyes, a tablescape was set atop a sharp-edged marble slab. Juxtaposing the chalky whites and jutting facades of the quarry, sleek obsidian-hued elements were layered to infuse mood and contrast into the tableau. Gilded ceramics were elegantly stacked, elevating the setting with their luxurious allure, while silken fabrics were draped throughout, bringing a weightless softness to the space.

“This project took us to the very quarries from which Michelangelo chose the best blocks to create ‘David’, and where Canova selected his marble for ‘The Three Graces’. They suited our purpose perfectly, representing, as they do, human love through the ages…”

Keeping balance in mind, tonal arrangements of featherlight florals were styled, with a focal piece of plumose pampas, lunaria and blackened ferns swinging whimsically above the tablescape. Reflecting the rawness of the landscape, a stationery suite exquisitely crafted from textured paper with deckled edges and flaked painted accents was included, tying into the organic elements beautifully.