Ventfort Mansion, part 2
Ventfort: Sarah Morgan's bedroom.

Ventfort Mansion, part 2

For the history of the mansion and the downstairs rooms, see last week's post. This post is available as a video at https://youtu.be/OkHKGWBtKDM. This week, we're mounting this lovely staircase…

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Ventfort Mansion, part 1
Ventfort: Stairs from the main entrance to the second floor.

Ventfort Mansion, part 1

This post is available as a video at https://youtu.be/mehgweDIyik. The Gilded Age mansions of the late nineteenth century were the homes of entrepreneurs who earned their wealth by advancing science, technology, and…

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Favorite Recommendations of 2021, part 3
Louis Majorelle, stained-glass windows for the Longwy Steelworks, 1926.

Favorite Recommendations of 2021, part 3

In 2021, I emailed 157 art-related items to my members of my free Sunday Recommendations list. (To join, just ask me: DuranteDianne@gmail.com.) For supporters, I recommended 52 more items. The items…

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Morse Museum, Winter Park, FL, part 2
Dragonfly mosaic. Morse Museum, Winter Park. Photo copyright © 2021 Dianne L. Durante

Morse Museum, Winter Park, FL, part 2

Who’d have expected that the world’s best collection of stained glass by Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933) would be within an hour of Disney World? Aside from gorgeous glass, the Morse Museum has…

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The Breakers, Newport, part 2
The second-floor loggia in The Breakers, Newport, R.I. Photo copyright © 2021 Dianne L. Durante

The Breakers, Newport, part 2

On The Breakers and other Gilded Age mansions, see last week's post. Alice Vanderbilt's bedroom Even though this room is decorated in the Louis XVI style, it's much more restful…

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The Breakers, Newport, part 1
Great Hall in The Breakers, Newport, R.I. Photo copyright © 2021 Dianne L. Durante

The Breakers, Newport, part 1

Many Gilded Age mansions have fabulous gardens that remained open during most of the Corona-virus pandemic, even if the mansions were locked up. Since 2020, I've visited Ventfort, Naumkeag, and…

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Visiting the Wadsworth Atheneum, part 19
Boucher / Vincennes Porcelain Factory, The Music Lesson, ca. 1752. Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford.

Visiting the Wadsworth Atheneum, part 19

This week: Rococo at the Wadsworth. For previous posts on the Wadsworth, click here. Giuseppe Nogari, Self-Portrait Giuseppe Nogari, Self-Portrait. Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford. Nogari (1699-1766), a native of Venice, painted works…

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Visiting the Wadsworth Atheneum, part 18
Johann Joachim Kaendler (creator of model for the Meissen Porcelain Factory), Busts of two monks, 1743. Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford.

Visiting the Wadsworth Atheneum, part 18

This week: Baroque and Rococo art at the Wadsworth. For previous posts on the Wadsworth, click here. Hals, Portrait of Joseph Coymans, 1644 Frans Hals, Portrait of Joseph Coymans, 1644. Wadsworth…

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Flagler Museum, Palm Beach, part 4
Dining room, Railcar No. 91. Flagler Museum, Palm Beach. Photo copyright © 2021 Dianne L. Durante

Flagler Museum, Palm Beach, part 4

Click here for all posts on the Flagler Museum. This week we’re looking at Henry Flagler's private railcar, built in 1886 by Jackson and Sharp of Wilmington, Delaware. In 1912, Flagler celebrated…

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