Rosita: The Lady in Red Posted on January 13, 2015 at 12:00 am.Written by Heather Angel Rosita, by Spanish painter Ignacio Zuloaga (1870–1945), is one of the most eye-catching works in George Vanderbilt’s collection and represents his interest in Spanish art, which gained popularity in the last years of the 19th century. Lounging on a divan draped with a mantón de manila (a flamenco dancer’s accessory), Rosita is wrapped in a white fringed shawl with a red floral flamenco skirt billowing out. She leans on her elbow and smiles, a huge red flower in her dark hair. Rosita is confident: a model at ease with being an object of beauty. So, how did this captivating woman come to stay permanently at Biltmore? Spanish artist Ignacio Zuloaga, ca. 1925 A celebrated artist In 1913, Zuloaga, known as “The Great Basque,” was living in Paris where his reputation had grown since his first exhibition in 1890. He came from a family of artists and his great-grandfather was a contemporary of Goya, who Zuloaga cited as one of his major influences. A rising star in the art world by the turn of the century, Zuloaga was known for his portraits, especially those of women with a great deal of personality. He also had a reputation for hosting memorable Parisian parties attended by artistic luminaries of the day, such as the famed conductor and cellist Pablo Casals. “To draw another connection to Biltmore’s collection, we know that he was respected by John Singer Sargent, who actually wrote the introduction to a 1914 catalog of Zuloaga’s work on display in Boston,” says Meghan Forest, Biltmore’s Associate Curator. Charles and John Kraushaar in their New York gallery. Photo courtesy of Kruashaar Galleries. Modern art, circa 1914 In January 1914, an American exhibition of Zuloaga’s paintings was held at the prestigious Kraushaar Galleries at 260 Fifth Avenue in New York. The show was reviewed in the February issue of Art and Decoration, a leading art journal of the time: “Mr C W Kraushaar, following up on his success of last season, showed for two weeks eight pictures by Ignacio Zuloaga, the greatest realist of the very realistic Spanish school.” The article goes on to say that “his Rosita, in the pattern of her shawl and of the couch on which she reclines, is masterly in painting.” According to Meghan, recent research on their correspondence indicates that George Vanderbilt did in fact attend the exhibition. He wrote to Kraushaar in January 1914 offering to purchase the painting and requesting the frame in which it is displayed today inside Biltmore House. Rosita finds a home at Biltmore After George Vanderbilt’s death, Edith Vanderbilt paid for the painting and requested that it be sent to a museum rather than to Biltmore. In 1915, Rosita entered the collection of the National Museum (now the Smithsonian American Art Museum) on loan. There she stayed until 1924, when Cornelia Vanderbilt Cecil and her husband, the Honorable John Francis Amherst Cecil, visited to view the painting and requested its return to Biltmore. The painting arrived in December 1924, with Rosita taking her place as one of Biltmore’s most intriguing permanent residents. While Rosita was not at Biltmore during George Vanderbilt’s lifetime, our records indicate that her first placement was the Second Floor Living Hall—a decision made by Cornelia and John Cecil. She was later displayed in the Billiard Room in the 1970s before taking up residence in the hallway outside of the Louis XV Suite in more recent years. This animation shows Rosita’s difference in appearance before and after conservation treatment in 2023. Conserving Rosita In 2023, Biltmore’s in-house conservator, Nidia Navarro, completed the conservation treatment of Rosita’s ornate frame while the painting itself was sent to Ruth Barach Cox for conservation. The painting conservator worked to remove old, discolored varnish and overpainting that was added during past conservation treatments and restore the vibrant colors and brush strokes to their original splendor. Early photos of the painting and Cox’s inspection revealed that the original work featured body hair in the sitter’s armpit, a common practice around the world in the early 20th century. Cox’s treatment returned the painting to its original appearance. Be sure to look for the recently conserved Rosita painting on display in the hallway outside of the Louis XV Suite on your next visit to Biltmore House.
“Nonsense” and a Very Good Time with the Vanderbilts Posted on January 8, 2013 at 12:00 am.Written by Karina Hux The “Nonsense Book” of Biltmore House is filled with handwritten poems and limericks, along with illustrations, telegrams, and photographs. This unique book was a way for guests of the Vanderbilts to commemorate their stay. It also captures the personalities of those who visited, while simultaneously offering a glimpse into their experiences while at Biltmore. Continue reading for a look inside this charming—and perhaps unexpected—Gilded Age guest book from our archival collection. A look at the original “Nonsense Book” in Biltmore’s archival collection. New Year, New Nonsense To mark the turning of 1901 into 1902, George and Edith Vanderbilt hosted a house party for 20 of the movers and shakers of Boston and New York society. Among the revelers that year were Larz Anderson, an American diplomat who had served in Rome and London, and his wife Isabel, an author of children’s books and travelogues. To commemorate the week-long festivities, Larz left an illustration in the Vanderbilts’ “Nonsense Book,” a bound leather volume full of notes and scribbles, rhymes and limericks inspired by one of George Vanderbilt’s favorite authors, Edward Lear. With entries from many of the Vanderbilts’ guests, the Nonsense Book gives us a glimpse into the various entertainment activities held at Biltmore. Larz Anderson left his amusing mark in the Vanderbilt “Nonsense Book,” detailing his frequent bicycle rides around the estate. Drawn as if it were a scrap from George’s print collection, the top of Larz’s entry reads: “For the Dürer Room – In Memory of New Years Week MCMII.” The “Dürer Room” refers to a den off of the Library where George Vanderbilt displayed many of his prints by the famed artist Albrecht Dürer, a brilliant German virtuoso of the late 1400 and early 1500s. Dürer’s prints, including The Triumphal Arch of Maximilian, which now hangs in the Music Room, are museum-quality masterpieces that one wouldn’t expect to find in a private home. Larz was impressed with Vanderbilt’s collection of engravings and was struck by the design and layout of Biltmore House, reporting to his mother by letter that “well, we all agree it is the finest thing in America – and one of the finest in the world….” Their week started off with several days of bad weather, but a few days into their stay, Larz wrote, “today is beautiful… the air is magnificent and yesterday I had a ten-mile climb over the mountains.” Apparently, Larz also got in a good bit of bicycling during his stay. Echoing Dürer’s artistic style, Anderson draws himself astride a bike peddling across the estate and past the Esplanade. A small figure labeled “AD” for Albrecht Dürer follows a path toward the eastern façade of Biltmore House. Anderson labeled the cartoon of himself with his initials, “LA,” in the same distinctive script that Dürer used to sign his works. Larz’s doodle documents the mountainous scenery he enjoyed firsthand and the fine weather that finished out the first week of their new year. And, quite amusingly, he references several of the Vanderbilt family’s St. Bernards, including Cedric and his mate Snow, who presumably could often be found flopped down on Biltmore’s gleaming herringbone floors in a manner resembling a polar bear rug. Join in on the Nonsense An iteration of the original “Nonsense Book” is still in use today. It resides in the lobby of the Inn on Biltmore Estate, and our guests are welcome to sign it and describe their adventures during their stay. During your next overnight stay at Biltmore, be sure to sign and join in on the nonsense!