For Eye of the Collector 2023, luxury interiors brand Zoffany presents a showcase of work, inspired by its AW23 collection celebrating the Arcadian Thames. Selected by art advisor Sigrid Kirk, the five works offer fragmentary glimpses of a blissful idyll representative of Arcadian ideals, and are offered for sale.
Arcadia has long been considered the world’s oldest escapist fantasy, an enchanting Greek landscape located amongst the ancient Peloponnese peninsula and a far cry from the civilised society of Athens. Arcadia's fascination lies in its remoteness, becoming the foremost expression of a virtuous existence.
Zoffany’s AW23 collection celebrates one of London’s greatest treasures, the Arcadian Thames. For over 300 years, this meandering stretch of river, flowing from Hampton to Kew and beyond, has framed ancient woodland, spectacular palaces, flower strewn meadows, historic houses and gardens, combining natural beauty and royal history. This concentration of wealth and power attracted the most influential thinkers, creating a cultural congregation of poets, artists, landscape designers and inspirational tastemakers, all encouraged by the Age of Enlightenment. The Arcadian Thames, as classical Arcadia centuries before it, came to illustrate a pastoral paradise free from restrictions and obligations.
The five artists’ works consciously mobilise the past, re-mixing visual motifs with an emotional and imaginative connection. Zoffany’s collaboration with Eye of the Collector is presented within the opulent interior of Two Temple Place, a historic riverside building aptly located on the banks of the Thames.
COMBINING ARTISTRY, INTEGRITY AND A RICH, ILLUSTRIOUS HERITAGE
Inspired by cultural history, Zoffany provides architects and interior designers with a wide range of high-quality wallcoverings, woven, printed and embroidered fabrics. Founded during the restoration of Temple Newsam, an English Jacobean estate and home to treasures dating back to the 17th century, Zoffany archived and restored these lost creations, breathing new life into historic designs.
Today, Zoffany partners with the world’s finest artisans, producing collections that exceed expectation in a manner that's luxurious and globally attuned. Wonderful archive documents, repurposed and given a new lease of life, sit alongside beautiful original pieces produced on incredible elevated substrates. A richly pigmented paint range completes the Zoffany portfolio, ensuring the brand remains the go-to resource for interior designers.