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Gothic Treasures of the Vanderbilts Return to Marble House
At an exclusive and celebratory cocktail reception held recently at Marble House and attended by principals of the Ringling Museum in Sarasota Florida, as well as curators, collectors and connoisseurs, an extraordinary collection of Medieval treasures on sacred themes was welcomed home to Newport.
Adorning the walls of the gold room, the 300 piece collection, chiefly created in Europe between 1110 and 1550 A.D., is displayed as its one-time owner, Alva Vanderbilt, would’ve wished. A glorious, dazzling array, the paintings, triptychs, and sacred altar pieces line and climb the walls, adorn the furniture. The collection comprises metal works, ceramics, and furniture, as well as paintings.
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Mike Urette, Karen Urette, Patrick Hennigan,
Michele Redwine and Marshall Rousseau
of the Ringling Museum
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Preservation Society officers and members who had been hoping for this day for twenty years were there to see the fruition of their dream: former
Preservation Society President Armin Allen, Mrs. Helen Winslow, current President Pierre Irving, who came home from vacation to be there, and Jerry Slocum.
This group of objects belonged to three successive owners: Paris collector and dealer Emile Gavet, Newport society hostess Alva Vanderbilt and circus impresario John Ringling. Mrs. Vanderbilt bought the collection from Mr. Gavet in Paris in 1890, and had it shipped to Newport for display in the summer “cottage” that Richard Morris Hunt was building for her.
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The newly-reinstalled art collection in the
Marble House Gothic Room captured the attention
of guests at the opening reception
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“Hunt redesigned the ground floor sitting room of Marble House into a Medieval setting specifically to accommodate the collection,” said Preservation Society Curator Paul Miller. “Sculpture was hung on the lowest tier, just above the wainscoting, followed by small paintings, over which were positioned larger panel paintings interspersed with ceramics perched on wall brackets. Smaller objects were scattered about the room in display cases.”
At the by-ivitation-only cocktail reception, President Trudy Coxe cited Mr. Miller, who collaborated with the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, Florida, and thanked Virginia Brilliant, Associate Curator of European Art , who wrote the catalogue. She welcomed the esteemed visitors, and praised her “talented” staff, who opened 51 crates to install the exhibition. Appreciating the results were Karl Nald, of the American Association of Museums, Marshall Rousseau, Interim Director, of the Ringling Museum, Max Marmor, President of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, and Frederick Ilckman of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Also attending from the Ringling museum were Ron McCarty, Keeper of Ca d’Zan, Board Members Patrick Hennigan, Alice Rau, Michele Redwine, Cliff Walters (with wife Susie) and Mike Urette (with wife Karen). From Florida State University came Sally McRorie, Dean of the College of Visual Arts, Theater and Dance, and Lee Hinkele, Vice President.
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David and Linda Gordon with
Lynn Roberts
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Ms. Coxe concluded by thanking the distinguished visitors for for allowing the Treasures to come to town.
The "Gothic Treasures" exhibition was made possible by made possible through generous grants from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, the Alletta Morris McBean Charitable Trust and a private donor. It will be on display through October 31, 2010. For information on viewing, please go to www.Newportmansions.org
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Awestruck
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One of the magnificent Marble House stained glass panels
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Virginia Brilliant, Frederick Ilckman, Lee Hinkele,
David Ford & Michele Redwine
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A gothic ceramic head on loan fron the Ringling Museum
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Ruth Taylor of NHS & Kari Van Buren
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Paul Miller & Mary Ambrogi
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Admiring a stained glass window
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Jack Ambrogi smiles for Newport Seen
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Karen Roskelly, NS's Linda Phillips,
Jack & Mary Ambrogi
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Mike Urette, Karen Urette, Patrick Hennigan, of the
Ringling Museum admiring the Vanderbilt collection
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Michael Semenza & Sister Jane Gerety,
of Salve Regina University
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Hors d'oeuvres on the porch
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Ruth Taylor & Linda Gordon
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Porsche Panamara from Inskip Porsche
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Stained glass detail
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Angela and Gary Moore
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Pierre Irving enjoyed the opening
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Kathy Irving and Betsy Ray
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One of the Carved statues from
the Vanderbilt Gothic collection
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Robert Sisson, Linda Gordon, Rod O'Hanley &
Mohamad & Dorienne Farzan
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John Bartosh, Ivan Colon of Preservation Society
of Newport County & Eric Nadeau of Fireman’s Fund |
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Couple on the terrace over looking the Chinese Teahouse
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David Achelis, Andrea & Josh Miller
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Karen Roskelly & friend
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Diana Slocum celebrating the return of the
Treasures
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Detail
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Richard Nelson & James Michael
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Cocktails on the terrace of Marble House
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Richard Crisson, Richard Guy Wilson & John Brooks
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Trudy Coxe and Virgina Brilliant |
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Mr. & Mrs. Armin Allen with Mr. Eugene B. Roberts, Jr.
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Angela Fischer and Dr. Edwin G. Fischer
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Linda Phillips & Richard Guy Wilson
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John Allen & Kim Herrlinger
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Trudy Coxe opens the reception |
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Listening to the history
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Diana Slocum, David Leys, Robert Beaver were some
of the guest attending the Marble House reception
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Spring flower centerpiece
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Mr. Eugene B. Roberts, Jr. Mrs. Lynn Roberts, Mrs. Peggy Richmond,
Mr. John Richmond and Mr. Christopher T. H. Pell (Toby)
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Jay Page, David Leys & Col. Alfred Simpson
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Richard Guy Wilson, Paul Miller & Steve Walk
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Mrs. Helen Winslow celebrates
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Marshall Rousseau, Interim Director of
the Ringling Museum
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Lee Hinkele, Florida State University Vice President
for University Relations and Advancement
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Chief Conservator Jeff Moore on left,
with Josh Miller, and reception guests
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Listening to the history of the Vanderbilt Gothic treasures
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Curator Paul Miller & Steve Walk
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Mrs. Helen Winslow
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Angela Moore & Jay Page
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Max Marmor & Frederick Ilckman
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Harle Tinney with Virgina Brilliant
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"Which work was your favorite?"
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The tent at Marble House
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John Rodman and Ivan Colon
of the Preservation Society of Newport
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Pouring libations
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Porsche Cayenne from Inskip Porsche
and the Chinese Tea House
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