San Rafael Auction Gallery, sanrafaelauction.
com. 18th-century needlework on silk fireplace
screen. 18th-century Italian finials, Siena
Antiques, Petaluma, siennaantiques.com, on
Italian rococo carved gilt wood chest. Polished
Nambé bud vase by Eva Zeisel. Lava rock pear
designed by Louise Mann. LIVING ROOM
WITH CENTER CHEST 18th-century pair of
painted and gilt Roman bust reliquaries, from
Max Fleischer Estate (creator of Betty Boop).
DINING ROOM TABLE 18th-century Italian arm
reliquaries on giltwood console. 18th-century
Italian carved shell. Painted and gilt wood
center piece. 19th-century French mirror.
TABLE SETTING Rock crystal pepper dish
from the Roger Thomas Collection. Silver
votive. 18th-century wooden candelabra.
DINING ROOM CHEST 18th-century Spanish
Vargueno cabinet. Pair of 18th-century Italian
mirrors. 16th-century Madonna. 18th-century
Italian prickets. ART CLOSE-UP Goblet
painting, oil on copper by Linda Cosgrove.
19th-century continental plaster cast medallions on 15th-century leather-bound breviary.
DESK Pre-Columbian figurative terra-cotta
vessel. Owner’s personal collections of pieces
from travels to Latin America (hand door
knocker, 200 B.C. Roman bust).
PLAYING TO THE GALLERY
SCULPTURE “Roundout,” 2005, an aluminum
sculpture by artist Travis Constance.
Items pictured but not listed are from private
collections, or no additional details are available.
P
HO
T
O
CR
E
D
T
94 WNTER/SPRNG 2017 SPACES SPACES WNTER/SPRNG 2017 95
IN RENAISSANCE PAINTING,
chiaroscuro is the dramatic contrast of dark and
light. For those who know her, that word could
also be used to describe the artist Linda Cosgrove.
A former model, the statuesque Cosgrove is
a lighthearted character who paints dark scenes
reminiscent of Caravaggio — think illuminated
headless saints and unwinged angels set against
a mysteriously deep black background. With a
quick, honest laugh, she leads guests through
her home pointing out 18th-century reliquaries
(that may contain vestiges of saintly remains)
and gilded Italian candle prickets, while sharing
funny anecdotes about family trips to Italy and
the trials of hauling home her finds.
Located on a tree-lined street in the Dominican neighborhood, Cosgrove’s Spanish Colonial
home features a set of worn wooden front doors
brought back from Mexico. Beyond these doors,
the large foyer is marked by a series of tableaux
designed from ornate architectural pieces and
gilded mirrors along with doll-like saint figures and other religious relics. Looking down
from the staircase landing are a life-size pair of
kneeling figures in their original 17th-century
dresses. In the adjacent living room and sunroom, every surface is arranged with a curated
display of baroque treasures. And in the dining
room, an array of Venetian glass and china is
A PAINTER’S PRIZED COLLECTION OF BAROQUE RELICS OFFERS GRAND
GESTURES AT EVERY TURN INSIDE THIS LIGHT-FILLED SAN RAFAEL HOME.
BY SARAH LYNCH PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID DUNCAN LIVINGSTON
The entrance to the home of Linda Cosgrove and
Perry Burr is packed with treasures, including a pair
of 17th century papier-mâché kneeling figures displayed on the staircase landing. Opposite: Two main
vignettes in the foyer feature an early Michoacan
terra cotta urn and an 18th-century Mexican cupola
made from gilt wood and vellum.
Epoch Collection
P
HO
T
O
CR
E
D
T
102 WNTER/SPRNG 2017 SPACES
PLAYING TO
THE GALLERY
FUN INFUSES THIS GARDEN OF PATHWAYS, RAMPS AND MOUNDS THAT
DOUBLES AS LAND ART AND EXHIBITION SPACE FOR SCULPTURE.
BY REED WRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARION BRENNER
An art piece, in the form of a stone
and gravel entry path designed by
Topher Delaney, is a love poem in
Braille. Surface Design extended the
path with staggered concrete pavers
coursing through a river rock swale
(intended to manage storm water)
bordered by bamboo thickets.
