Fans of Art and Architecture you have got to see this 'beyond belief' home of the Gilded Age! 

I visited The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina for the first time and I was blown away!  It was amazing! 

                                      

G.W.Vanderbilt  by John Singer Sargent 

The Biltmore Estate was finished in 1895, by George Washington Vanderbilt III at the age of 34. From his inheritance he would set out to build the largest private home in the United States.  In many ways George Vanderbilt defined what Mark Twain would call the 'Gilded Age' of our country.

This is one of my favorite rooms in the Biltmore--out of the 250 of them!
It showcases Vanderbilt's passion for knowledge. There are more than 10,000 books
selected by him personally, attesting to the 1900 quote from a New York journalist
that Vanderbilt was "the best read man in the country".

   

 The Library's Pellegrini ceiling painting,

The Chariot of Aurora

came from the Pisani palace in Venice

Vanderbilt was a fascinating and eccentric character.  To say that he was a great collector of art is an understatement.  The collection he amassed is legendary.

I was able to see....

Six John Singer Sargent paintings, 

Two Renoir paintings, 

Works by Whistler, Monet, Boldini, Durer, 

Flemish 15th century tapestries and 

an incredible Italian ceiling painting by Pellegrini in the two story library.    Just incredible to see!

Edith Vanderbilt  by Giovanni Boldini

This portrait is a life-size, very striking, portrait, of Mrs.George Washington

 Vanderbilt hanging in the Biltmore near her husband's portrait.

The Biltmore House spiral staircase reaches four floors with 102 steps. 
Through its center is an iron chandelier with 72 lights.

The side porch view

Visiting the Biltmore in Spring

was beautiful! 

OA Gallery Opening Art Reception

OA Gallery Opening Reception 

Friday, April 4th 6-9 pm

Stop by and say hello, have a glass of wine-  

See the beautiful and intriguing photographs

 of new guest artist photographer, 

Mark Appling Fisher. 

Also view all the artwork of the gallery artists and myself! 

There is a lot to see! And it is always a lot of fun!

OA Art Gallery

If you missed the fun evening we had at the OA Gallery, I would

like to invite you to sign up for my Email Newsletter in order to 

get gallery news for future openings, announcements, and a 

chance to win my FREE Art giveaways.  Just sign-up right here

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in the Newsletter Sign-up Box at the right. 

New Gallery Representation!

Great news!  

I am happy to announce that I have been invited to join the beautiful OA Gallery.  They will be representing my artwork and I am delighted to be a part of such an esteemed group of artists!

invitation below

Friday Favorites


William Merritt Chase 1849 - 1916

William Merritt Chase was fluent in many mediums; using oil, pastel, watercolor, and printmaking methods.  He was especially fluent in oil and pastel.  I have been enjoying reading about this American Impressionist in a beautiful book that includes his many pastel paintings, written by Ronald G. Pisano.                
                        

A native of Indiana, his family later moved to St. Louis, where he became active in the St. Louis art community, winning prizes for his paintings at local exhibition. Chase's talent elicited the interest of wealthy St. Louis collectors who arranged for him to study in Europe.  He returned to the United states in 1878 to live in New York.  He was a highly skilled artist representing the new wave of European-educated American talent.

Meditation

pastel on canvas

20 x 16

His pastels are amazing! They are so painterly....you almost seem to see the brushstrokes!  This pastel is one of Chase's most exhibited and reproduced pastels. His wife was the model.

One of the most bizarre happenings associated with this pastel was reported in an article, New York Mail and Express 1893

"...'I never before realized,' said the artist, 'that a mental shock could cause physical pain.  But I learned it the other day when I found some vandal in Chicago had RUBBED OUT THE FACE of my pastel portrait of my wife.  The canvas is well known here, and has been frequently exhibited.  I had been offered $1,500 ($40,000 in today's dollars) but refused.  I sent the work to the (1893) Chicago World's Fair and found that someone had rubbed out the face, probably thinking it was done in oil. I don't know how it was done, but the news of it made me ill.' "

Wow! Can you imagine that happening to your artwork in a public display? No wonder he was upset!

My only question is, why would this pastel on canvas not have been protected under glass?  Was that typical in that day? If I can find more info on this incident I'll let you know.  If anyone out there would know additional information, I'd like to learn more.

Here is another beautiful work of his, once again a pastel.  Amazing!

Back of Nude

Pastel

18 x 13

In the 1890s, John Singer Sargent averaged fourteen portrait commissions per year, none more beautiful than the genteel Lady Agnew of Lochnaw, 1892!  I still remember when I first saw this amazing work--sadly not in person but in a lovely book, 'Sargent' by Carter Ratliffe.  I was awestruck...still am!  Maybe someday I will be fortunate enough to see this lovely painting in person!

It now resides in the National Galleries of Scotland.  Andrew Noel Agnew, a barrister who had inherited the baronetcy and estates of Lochnaw in Galloway, Scotland, commissioned this painting of his young wife, Gertrude Vernon (1865-1932), in 1892.  The painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy in London, and made Sargent's name.  Portrait commissions poured in and Sargent enjoyed something of a cult following in Edwardian society.

John Singer Sargent
'Lady Agnew'
oil on canvas

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