Art Talk: Art at the Biltmore

Hello Art Talk friends,

I want to share with you some of the art that is at the Biltmore in North Carolina. I went on a girl's trip in April and had a great time seeing this amazing house. I knew the house was great and that there were some John Singer Sargent pieces. I was surprised by some of the other great art that George Vanderbilt collected during his lifetime for this incredible house in the Blueridge mountains.

First, here is a picture of the house, which is an incredible work of art itself. It was completed in 1895. If you want to see more of the house here is a post about it.

Tapestries

Let's start with the tapestries. They are located in the banquet hall and Tapestry Gallery and are from the 1500s. Incredible.

Banquet hall

Triumph of Charity

Triumph of Faith		Triumph of Prudence

The information we know about the Triumph of Faith is that it was made in 1530 in Belgium. These tapestries are really incredible!

Porcelain

This Chinese Fishbowl was made around 1573-1620 in China. It is decorated with the imperial five-claw dragon and is located in the library, which itself incredible.

Etchings and woodcuts.

While doing research for this post I found out that there was an Albrect Druer at the Biltmore. The woodcut above the fireplace was created by the brilliant German artist in 1515 and printed between 1849-1879. It is called The Triumphal Arch of Maximilian.

There were a lot of etchings throughout the house, especially in George's bedroom.

Paintings

The library also has a stunning ceiling painting by Giovanni Pellegrini. It was originally located in the ballroom of the Pisani Palace in Venice. It is 64 feet (19.5072) long and 32 (9.7536) feet wide. It was painted in 1720 and is called The Chariot of Aurora.

Below you will see great works of art from artists who worked in the late 1800s to early 1900s. I was very interested to see the age they were when the house was completed in 1895.

Claude Monet-French Impressionist painter that lived from 1840-1926 (age 55)
Pierre-Auguste Renoir- French Impressionist painter that lived from 1841-1919 (age 54)
John Singer Sargent- American painter that lived from 1856-1925 (age 39)
James McNeill Whistler-American painter that lived from 1834-1903 (age 61)
Giovanni Boldini- Italian painter that lived from 1842-1931 (age 53)
Anders Zorn-Swedish artist that lived from 1860-1920 (age 35)

John Singer Sargent with a very famous and influential portrait painter. He painted Fredrick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect, in 1895, George Vanderbilt in 1890 and his mother Mrs. William Henry Vanderbilt in 1888.

George Vanderbilt personally knew John Singer Sargent and James McNeill Whistler.

James McNeill Whistler
Nocturne: Battersea, 1871-1873
Oak Sitting Room of the Biltmore House

I was splitting my attention between the 16th century tapestries and this incredible portrait of Mrs. George W. Vanderbilt in the tapestry Gallery. Edith was quite a woman in her own right and Boldini did a great job capturing her. I was happy to learn about this talented artist.

One of my favorite museums and collectors is Isabella Stewart Gardener. She has some great paintings by Sargent and Anders Zorn. Here is another great Zorn called The Waltz.

John da Costa
Cornelia Vanderbilt, 1906
Oak Sitting Room of the Biltmore House

There are a few highlights of pieces that attracted my attention while in the house. One of the most beautiful sights was the view of the landscape out the window of the Oak Sitting room. God is the BEST artist!

Sources:
Biltmore- Conservation
Biltmore-Collection Highlights

Art Talk Series Highlights

2024
Theme: Visual Analysis
Art Talk: Visual Analysis of the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes
Art Talk: Visual Analysis of Laocoon
Art Talk: Visual analysis of a Greek Vase

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