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VOYAGES IN SCENT

Chatsworth Greenwood-Pemberton-Thornton, an English poet of the Romantic tradition, was born in the countryside of Kent in 1864. Educated at Oxford, he was deeply influenced by the aesthetic movements of his time and the lush, intricate translations of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám by Edward FitzGerald. Greenwood-Pemberton-Thornton’s poetry, characterised by its vivid imagery, iambic pentameter, and rich palette of natural elements, drew the attention of the London literary scene. A contemporary of Aubrey Beardsley, Greenwood-Pemberton-Thornton was often seen in the exclusive gatherings of the Kensington set, where art and intellect intertwined. His works, though steeped in the classical English tradition, often hinted at the exotic and the mystical, a testament to his fascination with Persian literature. Despite his upper-middle-class upbringing, his poetry resonated with a desire for a more profound, almost spiritual connection with nature and the cosmos, a reflection of the Romantic yearning for the sublime.

Middleton Jouyce, a friend of Greenwood-Pemberton-Thornton since they roomed together at Oxford, was known for his illustrations for Penguin Books and his designs for Liberty of London. His work resonated with the Art Nouveau movement, securing the admiration of his generation.

These collaborative works, produced between 1806 and 1809, were recently discovered in an attic in Bournemouth and have been brought to life in these pages – a rare chance to encounter these visionary and all-too-overlooked artists.  ◉

Suede 3 Square

Suede by Perfumer H

Midnight blue swathes the suede leather land,Geography worn, where schist stones stand.They map the ages in layers dark and true,While over the silent earth, night’s hue,In whispers, time’s touch – a soft, shaping hand.

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Chanel No.5 by Chanel

In firmament’s glow, golden light does stream,Where bergamot’s shadow casts a dream.Its zest is bright, ’neath stars that softly gleam,The desert sands in hushed reverence seem.With wind’s caress, the night’s pure scent redeems.

 

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Back to the Roots by Vilhelm Parfumerie

Musk of mycelium ’neath the landscape sprawls,Where rocks carved by winds form nature’s halls.In the dark, the distant pipes weave their tales,Through the silent majesty that prevails.O’er stoic earth, the wild melody calls.

 

Narciso

All of Me by Narciso Rodriguez

Ambrose mirrors catch the light’s soft play,Reflecting iridescence where they lay.Magnolia whispers ’neath the dewy sheen,With scent of blooms pure and barely seen.In wind’s soft sighs, the night’s enchantment’s seen.

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Halfeti by Penhaligon’s

Beneath stark skies, where rose quartz gleams at dawn,Rhodochrosite whispers as the sun is drawn.Heat shimmers o’er ruins, tales old and wise,Where morganite’s glow meets the sunrise,Where black Bulgarian roses scent the morn.

 

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J'adore L'Or by Dior

Silver turns to gold ’neath burnished skies,Klimt’s touch in heliotropic forms lies.Upon the canvas broad, where day meets night,Damascus roses scent the air so light.In every hue, the artist’s dream defies.