Fleur-de-lys Studio

On a bustling street in Providence stands a bright yellow house that not many people know is actually a historic art studio. This building, built in 1885 by Sydney Burleigh and architect Edmund Wilson, is considered an eyesore by many, but stands proud while surrounded by the more modern buildings. The building, still standing tall on Thomas Street, is all original architecture, built during the Arts and Crafts Movement, a movement that began in rebellion against mass production, which was becoming more common in the 1880's. The building and its interior are all beautifully handcrafted woodwork, that when mixed with the smell of the paints scattered around, gives the studio a rich, authentic scent.

When you first enter the building through a sinister looking set of short, narrow stairs leading in from the street, the entrance hall is small and foreboding, but opens up into a fairly large room with a tall ceiling. The Fleur-de-lys Studio has always been occupied by artists, ever since its construction. The current artist, Mr. Anthony Tomaselli, who is the sixth to use this space since its construction, has tarps down to protect the floor, paintings at all stages of completion scattered around the studio, and tables set up to aid him in his work. Inside the building there is another room which is an offshoot of the large room. It is smaller and less filled, but still has paintings inhabiting it. Back in the large room there is a staircase leading up to a balcony of sorts that overlooks the studio, with exceptionally uniform fence posts used as the boundary from the studio. On the wall hang more paintings, captivating works by the current residing artist.

Lovecraft used this location as the residence of one of his characters in his famous story "The Call of Cthulhu". It is easy for one to see how H.P. Lovecraft would have been captivated by this space. From the outside, the building looks inspiring, and the history of its construction, being entirely hand-built, furnishings and all, goes against the rising norm of that time, a fact that was sure to have intrigued H.P. Lovecraft. The longer one stays in this building, the easier it is to see and experience the eerie atmosphere of the site as the whole effect of the building sets in. At first, this site has a peaceful feeling, but the longer one stays there and absorbs the atmosphere around them, the more other details stick out that give the building a haunted feeling. The bright lights that beam through the large windows onto the dark wood of the interior give the rooms an almost mystical feel. The symmetrical painted dragons that circle above the wall of the fireplace also add to the darker tone of the room. These dragons in particular have no outstanding connection to Lovecraft, but may have contributed to the inspiration he had when creating the almost dragon-like entity Cthulhu in his work "The Call of Cthulhu". Overall, the building offers a very Lovecraftian atmosphere to visitors.

Above are directions to the Fleur-de-lys Studio. When you arrive at the studio, you must find street parking in a close vicinity to the building and walk to the actual studio. When visiting the Fleur, you can also walk about 5 minutes to the Ath, our next location, from that location, eliminating the need to find another parking spot when visiting both locations.