Mellon-White Townhouse, Another Manhattan Landmark For Sale

The Mellon-White townhouse
entrance from the sidewalk
125 East 70th Street
as it appeared in 2013.
Photo:  Sotheby's International Realty.

The most popular of all the posts of The Devoted Classicist is a selection of fabulous New York City private residences titled Landmark Manhattan Townhouses For Sale.  This post is a sequel, one might say, presenting one of the most remarkable townhouses for sale, highly suitable for anyone wanting "a little place in the city."


The Mellon-White townhouse
at 125 East 70th Street
as it appeared in 2013.
Photo:  Sotheby's International Realty.

Long one of this writer's favorite townhouses, 125 East 70th Street, is the dream home for the most discerning traditionalist city dweller.  Completed in 1966 for the philanthropist, art collector and banking heir Paul Mellon and his second wife, Rachel "Bunny" Lambert Mellon, a noted gardener and philanthropist in her own right, still alive at this writing at age 103, the French style townhouse was an instant landmark.  It was their pied a terre in Manhattan, their main residence being a 4,000 acre estate in Upperville, Virginia where Mrs. Mellon still lives (to be featured in a future post).  Architect H. Page Cross designed the house that replaced two typical late 19th-century brownstones.  It was an usual project at the time when affluent families were relocating to the fashionable suburbs.  "Storm" shutters were concealed within the thickness of the exterior walls, pulling down inside the coquina stone trim around the French doors and casement windows;  a steel plate can automatically slide to block the front door to make it difficult to penetrate the urban fortress.


The Basement, Ground Floor and Second Floor
Plans as they appear in the 2013 real estate
offering by Sotheby's International Realty.

One of the distinctive features is the wall along the sidewalk that creates a south-facing garden at the entrance, as seen in the first image.  A second gate is the service entrance, originally tended by a concierge that also served as a security guard (with quarters marked Guest/Staff Bedroom on the plan).


View to the Entrance Foyer
of the Mellon-White townhouse
as it appeared in 2013.
Photo:  World of Interiors.

The scale and architectural detailing, along with the original decoration, is exceptional, providing the "quiet quality" that the Mellons desired.  For example, that the wood floors are painted to resemble stone is an artistic statement rather than a budget compromise.


The lattice covered vestibule leading to
the rear garden, as it appeared in 2013.
Photo:  Private Collection.

A more distant view to the Entrance Foyer,
from a lattice covered vestibule.
The cove lighting is not illuminated.
Photo:  World of Interiors.
 

Treillage is used as an effective wallcovering to establish a mood, here as a transition to the rear garden.  Lattice also currently covers some of the walls in the basement.


A Powder Room on the Ground Floor
retains its original painted fretwork decoration.
Photo:  World of Interiors.



The Library at 125 E 70th Street
as it appeared in 2013.
Photo:  Sotheby's International Realty.

What might appear to be a peculiar detail today was originally intended as a special consideration to show the Mellons' magnificent art collection to full advantage, but in an understated way seldom seen in new residential installations now.  Note the absence of recessed spotlights or other specialty art lighting, for example. The lighted bookcases were added by the current owners.


The rear garden of the Mellon-White
townhouse in 2013.
The lily pool was added by the current owners.
Photo:  Sotheby's International Realty.

The wide rear garden is an unusual treat in Manhattan.  The Library, Drawing Room, and His Bedroom are among the rooms that benefit from the outdoor space.


The Main Staircase at 125 E 70th Street
as it appears in 2013.
Photo:  World of Interiors.

According to the November, 2013, issue of World of Interiors, the wrought iron stair balustrade of the main staircase was copied from a Jack Lemmon film.  Four Bonnard paintings once hung on the walls now covered with toile de jouy.


The Kitchen/Breakfast Room in 2013.
Photo:  Sotheby's International Realty.

The whole second floor was originally dedicated to service and staff areas.  This floor appears to have been completely renovated by the current owners, making it more family-friendly.


The Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth
Floor Plans as they appear in the 2013
offering by Sotheby's International Realty.

The Third Floor is luxuriously devoted to two principal rooms and a large south-facing terrace.


The Third Floor Gallery in 2013.
Photo: Sotheby's International Realty.

From the stairs or the elevator, when arriving at the Third Floor, one first enters an enchanting Gallery. acting as an orienting space before entering the Drawing Room, Terrace or anteroom to the Dining Room.  The wood floor painted as faux marbre is exceptional as are the walls painted as trompe l'oeil boiserie.  Note the frieze of tassels painted below the cornice.


The Drawing Room of 125 E 70th Street
as it appeared in 2013.
Photo: Sotheby's International Realty.

The Drawing Room overlooks the rear garden to the north and the Terrace with the Gallery seen on the right in the photo above.  Although the original decoration was done in consultation with legendary designer John Fowler of Colefax and Fowler, many Devoted Readers will know that Fowler never visited the United States.  Instead, the Mellons sent painters Paul Leonard and William Strom to London for two weeks of training, the magazine article states, and the decorating was carried out by mail.  Although the yellow walls of the Drawing Room are an homage to Nancy Lancaster's famous room at 22 Avery Row, the glazed walls as they appear here were done as specified by the current owners, the article also says.  A long list of decorators had a hand in the designs for the Mellons over the years with the last being Bruce Budd.  (Some might object that the townhouse lacks one critical amenity, a garage.  This was not really a problem for the Mellons who owned a handsome old limestone-fronted carriage house nearby that had the capacity for 12 cars.  Budd had a chic apartment above, making him available for decorating consultation as needed.  Designed by architect C.P.H. Gilbert, the East 70th Street carriage house sold for $13.5 in 2009;  read more about it here).


The wood floor in the Anteroom
of the Mellon-White townhouse
at 125 East 70th Street in 2013.
Photo:  Private Collection.

One of the most charming of these wood floors painted by Paul Leonard is in the Anteroom leading into the Dining Room.  Note that the pattern follows the joints of the planks in the length with scored lines across the width to give the effect of tiles.  It is an excellent example of appropriate scale, pattern and color to link the adjacent Gallery and Dining Room.


The Dining Room as it appears in 2013.
Mellon-White townhouse.
Photo:  World of Interiors.

When the real estate photos of the townhouse starting appearing in the blogs a few weeks ago, there was speculation about many things, especially the walls and floor of the Dining Room.  Being somewhat familiar with the house and the contributions of Colefax & Fowler and Paul Leonard, The Devoted Classicist offered some factual information, only to later receive notice that speculators thoroughly disputed my comments on the other blogs; so much for trying to educate the "experts."  In any case, the floor is indeed painted to resemble marble as is the baseboard and dado (difficult to see in this photo).  The walls are painted with a blue cross-hatched glaze that was formulated to compliment the major painting by Homer that the Mellons owned.  Legendary decorator Billy Baldwin added the sheets of beveled mirrors.  An adjacent pantry acts as a serving kitchen and a small staircase gives access to the main kitchen below.


The Front Master Bedroom
of the Mellon-White townhouse in 2013.
Photo:  World of Interiors.

There are two Master Bedrooms on the Fourth Floor with the front assumed to have been used by Mrs. Mellon.  The walls are lined with painted wood paneling in the transitional Louis XV/XVI style and the floor has a Colefax & Fowler carpet, a replacement of the same during the Mellon occupancy according to the article.  An east-facing balcony overlooks the terrace below with the lattice on the common wall extending to filter the view beyond.


The view in 2013 from the balcony down to the
Third Floor Terrace of 125 E 70th Street.
Photo:  Sotheby's International Realty.

Fortunately, the current owners kept many of the bathrooms intact.  This, assumed to have been Mrs. Mellon's, is exceedingly charming.  Of special note are the antique Delft tiles facing the bathtub.  The walls, including concealed doors, are covered with printed fabric especially hand-blocked in Wales for Colefax & Fowler, according to the WoI article. 


Views in 2013 of the bathroom assumed to have
originally been used by Mrs. Mellon
at 125 East 70th Street.
Photo:  World of Interiors.

The bedroom on the rear of the Fourth Floor, then, was assumed to have been used by Mr. Mellon.  It is a handsome space with a coved ceiling and a fireplace (not shown) opposite the bed.


The Rear Bedroom on the Fourth Floor
of the Mellon-White townhouse, 2013.
Photo: Sotheby's International Realty.


According to various on-line reports, Stribling & Associates listed the Mellons' townhouse for sale for $26.5 million in August 2005 and it sold early in 2006 for $24.5 million or $22.5 million with reports varying.  The buyers were Clare and Tony White.  The Whites had bought their townhouse across the street at 118 East 70th Street in 1998 for $6.05 million and sold it in 2006 for $25.6 million to actor/director Woody Allen.  Mr. White is an Irish businessman who founded Abacus Direct, a consumer data company that he sold for $1.7 billion.  The Whites hope to repeat their success in real estate by selling their present home at 125 East 70th Street for $46 million.  The listing through Sotheby's International Realty, including more photos and a video, may be viewed here.

Rex Whistler's Circle

Rex Whistler self portrait.
Image:  BBC.

While the great artistic talent of Rex Whistler cannot be denied, the contributions to his success made through his friendships should not be underestimated.  His association with the 'Bright Young Things', as the group of young bohemian aristocrats and socialites of 1920s London was dubbed, undoubtedly helped Whistler's stylistic development.  As mentioned in the first post of this series of The Devoted Classicist, it started with his friendship with Stephen Tennant whom he met in art school.  Another member of the same set also known as the 'Bright Young People' was Tennant's best friend Cecil Beaton.


Rex Whistler as a shepherd.  1927.
Photo by Cecil Beaton.

Cecil Beaton was a fashion and society photographer known for his portraits of the royal family as well as the celebrities of the day.  (He also achieved success after World War II for designing sets and costumes for stage and screen, notably "Gigi" and "My Fair Lady". both which earned Beaton an Oscar for Costume Design).


Rex Whistler and Cecil Beaton.

In 1930, Beaton was taken by sculptor Stephen Tomlin and writer Edith Oliver (Whistler's collaborator on the mural for the Tate restaurant) to see Ashcombe, a derelict house that was originally part of a larger 18th century manor on over 1,000 acres.  Despite the poor condition and lack of plumbing and electricity, Beaton fell in love with the property and took on a 15 year lease for GBP 50 a year on the condition that he make all the improvements at his own expense.  Guests at Ashcombe House included many notable actors and artists such as Salvador Dali, Christian Berard, and Augustus John in addition to Whistler.


The bed in the "Circus Room" at Ashcombe.
Image from Prints Online.

One of the famous rooms of the house was the "Circus Room" with a carousel-inspired bed designed by Whistler and murals painted by Whistler and other houseguests. 


Cecil Beaton in the "Circus Room" at Ashcombe.

Rex Whistler also designed the front door surround of Bath stone.  Sadly, Beaton had to give up the house at the end of the lease (and it was then occupied by the landlord's son).  The story of Beaton's time there is recorded in his book ASHCOMBE, THE STORY OF THE FIFTEEN YEAR LEASE.


The cover of Beaton's book, first published in 1949,
features Rex Whistler's painting of  Ashcombe.
The Devoted Classicist Library

Madonna and Guy Ritchie bought Ashcombe in 2001 (for more than the guide price of GBP 9 million, it is believed).  Little remains of Beaton's neo-baroque interior decoration with the exception of part of the "Circus Room" murals.  After the divorce, Mr. Ritchie retained ownership of the estate.


Ashcombe and Madonna as they appeared
in a Vogue magazine photo by Tim Walker.

Despite what may be seen as Dream Projects for Rex Whistler, the clients were not always easy to please.  Such was the case with Mrs. Gilbert Russell, owner of Mottisfont Abbey.  Her portrait by Boris Anrep, around 1930, shows her in bed in a previous residence.  But it is too marvelous not to include.


A portrait of Mrs. Gilbert Russell
 circa 1930 by Boris Anrep.

Another painting to be shared is one by Rex Whistler, in the manner of Salvador Dali, a Surrealist landscape done as a challenge to imitate his friend's style.


A Surreal Landscape by Rex Whistler, 1942.
The Estate of Rex Whistler.

The last painting by Rex Whistler reveals not only the artist's great talent and imagination, but also his sense of humor.  It shows the almost naked Prince over the sleeping ingenue of the city of Brighton.


Allegory:  H.R.H., the Prince Regent
Awakening the Spirit of Brighton.  1944.
Royal Pavilion, Libraries & Museums, Brighton.

For the Devoted Readers who were already fans of Rex Whistler, it is hoped that this provided a satisfying, if brief, review.  For those who were not familiar, The Devoted Classicist hopes new fans will be inspired to learn more about this great artist.

More of the Artistry of Rex Whistler

Rex Whistler's limewood urn at the end of the Gallery
of 12 North Audley Street, London.
Photo published in Country Life 1962.

Devoted Readers will recall a previous series of posts on The Menagerie, a remarkable folly whose Saloon featured four urns copied from a limewood model Rex Whistler created for the London home of Samuel Cortauld at 12 North Audley Street.  A exceptional rear Gallery, possibly based on designs by Edward Lovett Pearce, featured an end niche for which Whistler designed an urn that was carved from limewood, as seen in the first photo, when the house was occupied by Chistabel, Lady Aberconway.


A building section of 12 North Audley Street, London.
Image from British History archives.

White Allom decorated a bedroom on an upper floor (the next-to-top level) in the "Chinese" style around 1932 with Whistler painting a panel over the fireplace to blend with the wallpaper, but highlighting Picasso's "L'Enfant Au Pideon" dating from about 1901.  Considering it was a secondary room, it must have been a truly remarkable space.


The fireplace in the Chinese Bedroom
12 North Audley Street
with the panel over the mantle painted by Rex Whistler.
Photo from London Metro Archives.

The panel over the mantle painted by Rex Whistler c 1932
in the Chinese Bedroom, 12 N Audley Street, London.
Photo from Victoria & Albert Museum.

Picasso's painting "L'Enfant Au Pigeon".

The talent of Rex Whistler extended into a number of areas.  Whistler's sketch for a bookplate for Duff Cooper was printed from an engraving by Robert Osmond in 1931.


The bookplate for Duff Cooper
designed by Rex Whistler.
Image from The Duff Cooper Prize.

The bookplate is now used as the logo for The Duff Cooper Prize, an annual award for the best in non-fiction writing given each year since 1956.


Rex Whistler's design for the set of the ballet
"The Rake's Progress" 1942

The stage set and costumes for the 1935 Royal Opera House production of the ballet "The Rake's Progress" were designed by Rex Whistler.  Inspired by a series of paintings by social satirist William Hogarth, the colors evoke murky 18th century London in presenting a young man's fall from grace after being corrupted by wealth;  the sets and costume designs are still used when the ballet is staged. Whistler also designed the sets for a 1942 production for Sadler's Wells ballet, as seen in the image above.


Rex Whistler's design for a Neptune carpet,
a circa 1935 oil sketch.
Image from the Edward James Foundation.

One of The Devoted Classicist's most memorable of many wonderful experiences as an Attingham student was spending a week living at West Dean, the Edwardian country estate of art patron Edward James.  After dinner in the modern David Mlinaric-decorated dining hall in the converted service court, a lecture followed in the original Dining Room of the house, now used as a conference room.  Although listening, my eyes often studied the fantastic rug woven to a design by Rex Whistler about 1935, pictured above.


A toile fabric printed in a design by Rex Whistler.
Image from Clovelly Silk Company.

Textile design was another field that benefitted from Rex Whistler's talent.  His design for a toile de jouy printed cotton is still produced by the Clovelly Silk Company.

Despite the great talent shown in Rex Whistler's murals and other artistic expressions more associated with architecture and  decorative arts, many know him from his pictures of two faces in a single image that are different when viewed inverted.


Reversible faces from OHO.

Rex's brother Laurence Whistler added witty comments and published the books OHO and AHA that can can be read from different directions in 1946.


Rex Whistler's "Tivoli From The Road" 1929.

Rex Whistler produced landscape paintings and portraits of high quality, it's just that his decorative work is of more interest to this writer.



A Sitting Room at 39 Preston Park, Brighton,
decorated by Rex Whistler.

At age 35, Rex Whistler was too old to join the army, but he persuaded the Welsh Guards to take him in.  This room in Brighton that served as an officer's Sitting Room was painted by Whistler to enliven the space while he waited to be shipped out.  The overmantle silhouette of King George IV painted on paper was preserved and is now in the collection of The Royal Pavillion in Brighton.


Rex Whistler self portrait, 1940.
On the balcony of 27 York Terrace, London.
Council of the National Army Museum.

This self portrait, on a balcony overlooking Regent's Park, London, was painted the day his uniform arrived.  Although Whistler could have served in an artistic function in England, he felt that men his age should fight.  Rex was a tank commander, part of the Guards Armoured Division that crossed to Normandy following the D-Day Invasions.  He was killed on his first day of action.


Rex Whistler in a photo by Howard Coster, 1936.

According to Jenny Spencer-Smith of the National Army Museum, 'The Times' received more letters about his death in action than any other person during World War II.

A Memorial Exhibition of Rex Whistler's works was held in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, from October 12 to December 18, 1960, and in Brighton, January 7 to 28, 1961.  A catalogue of 31 pages was authored by brother Laurence Whistler.

Laurence Whistler also wrote a book about his brother titled THE LAUGHTER AND THE URN, THE LIFE OF REX WHISTLER that was published in 1985.  The cover features a detail of his murals for Plas Newydd, with the artist holding a broom.

But the book soon to be published that Whistler fans are anticipating is IN SEARCH OF REX WHISTLER: HIS LIFE AND HIS WORK by Mirabel and Hugh Cecil.  The cover features a detail of the mural for Port Lympne, featured in the previous post.  A selection of books about Rex Whistler and his work may be ordered here.

A third post in this series will present people and objects associated with Rex Whistler.  If this is being read from the archives rather from a current post of The Devoted Classicist, be sure to read "Rex Whistler Murals" here.

Rex Whistler Murals

Rex Whistler Self Portrait, 1933
Photo: Tate museum

One of the great, if not greatest, decorative painters of the 20th century was Reginald John 'Rex' Whistler, 1905 to 1944.  Perhaps better described as a muralist in the context of this post of The Devoted Classicist, he also painted portraits and landscapes, illustrated books, and designed theatre sets.


Rex Whistler in his Fitzroy Street Studio, 1932.
Howard Coster, photographer.
Photo:  Private Collection, Rex Whistler Estate.

Born in Eltham, Kent, he showed a talent for art at an early age.  After a short, unsuccessful term of study at the Royal Academy, he moved on to the Slade School of Art, often considered the United Kingdom's premier Art and Design educational institution.  There, he met Stephen Tennant, the British aristocrat who was one of the inspirations for Lord Sebastian Flyte in Brideshead Revisited.  Through this friendship and his being part of 'The Bright Young Things' social group, commissions began to come his way.

Rex Whistler's design for the Tate Gallery restaurant.
Pen and ink on paper.  Private collection.
Michael Parkin Gallery.  The Bridgeman Art Library.

At age 23, Rex Whistler finished his first big commission, "The Expedition in Persuit of Rare Meats" for the basement cafe at the Tate Gallery.  Financed by a GBP 500 donation by art and antiques dealer Joseph Doveen to encourage similar commissions to other young artists, the scheme was a big success at its 1927 unveiling.


Portrait of Edith Olivier by Rex Whistler.

Novelist Edith Oliver collaborated on the subject of the mural, recounting the expedition of a group of seven people who set out in search of exotic meats.  After trekking through exotic lands, the travellers return to the 'Duchy of Epicurania', transforming the diet of the people who had previously eaten only dry biscuits.  The mural survived the 1928 flooding of the River Thames thanks to the combination of oil paint mixed with wax and turpentine.

Contemporary Views of The Rex Whistler Restaurant
The Tate Museum, London.

The space is now known as The Rex Whistler Restaurant;  it is closed for refurbishment until 2013, however.

One particularly successful commission for a fully painted room was given by Sir Phillip Sassoon for his mansion Port Lympne near Hythe, Kent.  Originally named Belcaire, the Edwardian, South African Dutch Colonial style house by architects Baker and Wilmott was renamed in honor of Portus Lemanis, the area's Roman name.  Sir Phillip was one of the great aesthetes of the early 20th century, a member of the family known as the "Rothschilds of the East", according to The DiCamillo Companion.


The Dining Room at Port Lympne
as it appeared in a 1933 issue of Country Life magazine.

The Port Lympne project was unique in that the ceiling was shaped to conform to the design of a tent and decorated as part of the mural project.  Poles and the paired tassels are real, but the other decoration on the walls and ceiling is painted.  The original use of the room is believed to be for dining.


Rex Whistler's design drawing for the Dining Room at Port Lympne.
Image from Ian Beck Wordpress.

The room remains and was restored in recent years by experts from the Tate Museum.  The mansion and grounds are now rented for events and conferences.  The surrounding property is a preserve for endagered species of animals and is known as the Port Lympne Wild Animal Park.



Lady Mountbatten's Boudoir at Brook House.
Painted walls and ceiling by Rex Whistler.
Photo by A.E. Henson, Country Life, August 24, 1939, issue.
 

Brook House, a remarkable block of luxurious apartments on Park Lane in Mayfair was erected between 1933 and 1935 on the site formerly occupied by a mansion that had been inherited by Countess Edwina Mountbatten.  The top two floors contained the penthouse flat of Edwina and her husband Louis, the 1st Earl of Mounbatten, decorated by Mrs. Joshua Cosden of New York (whose husband, the Tulsa Oil King had lost his fortune in The Depression, necessitating her entrance into a career) in collaboration with Victor Proetz.


Another view of Lady Mountbatten's boudoir at Brook House.
Photo by A.E. Henson, Country Life, August 24, 1939, issue.

Lady Mountbatten's boudoir walls featured panels painted on canvas in silver and grisaille, depicting scenes of family homes and various personal interests.  Her initials were also incorporated into both the ceiling medallion and the radiator grille, further personalizing the room.  Although the building was bombed during World War II, the wall canvasses had already been removed in 1939.


The floor to ceiling mural on the long wall
of the Dining Room at Plas Newydd by Rex Whistler.
National Trust Images.

The murals at Plas Newydd near Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Isle of Anglesey, Wales, are considered Rex Whistler's masterpiece.  Commissioned in 1936 by the Marquess of Anglesey for his country seat, the house originated in the 14th century and was altered by James Wyatt in the 18th century.  The 7th Marquess of Anlesey still retains rooms there, but it has been owned by the National Trust since 1976.


The walls and ceiling of the Dining Room
of Plas Newydd painted by Rex Whistler.
National Trust Images.

The large Dining Room at Plas Newydd has a fireplace on each end wall and windows on one long wall looking out to the Menai Straits and the mountains of Snowdonia.  The view is often obscured by weather, however, so the blank fourth wall was the ideal candidate for a mural with a harbor scene where it was always the perfect day.  The scene is floor to ceiling, 58 feet long.


A detail of Rex Whistler's mural at Plas Newydd.
National Trust Images.

A panel at one of the ends of the room.
National Trust Images.

The end walls of the Dining Room are painted in trompe-l'oeil as well.




A detail of one of the end panels,
with the artist including himself in the scene.
National Trust Images.

The artist included a representation of himself, with a broom rather than a paint brush.  Another representation is a young boy stealing an apple;  it was the son of the Marquess, now the current Marquess of Anglesey.

A detail of the painted ceiling at Plas Newydd.
National Trust Images.

Even the ceiling received a trompe-l'oeil treatment by Whistler.  As a framing accent, the cornice of the room is gold-leafed.

Rex Whistler and Lady Caroline Paget
with the Dining Room mural in progess.
Photo by John Wickens, National Trust Images.

Rex Whistler's mural at Plas Newydd is painted on canvas.  Some of the work was done in his London studio, and some in situ.  Some have written that Rex was the lover of the Marquess' daughter, Lady Caroline Paget who was 23 at the time.  (They had known each other before the commission).  Others say that Whistler's love for her was not returned and was symbolized in the mural with a pair of swallows taking flight and rose petals on the ground.  The collection of Plas Newydd includes a nude portrait of Lady Caroline by Whistler as well as his letters to her.

 

The Drawing Room at Mottisfont Abbey.
National Trust Images.

Mottisfont Abbey is a rural estate near Romsey, Hampshire, with grounds alongside the River Test, a notable chalk stream, and with walled gardens housing the National Collection of old fashioned roses.  Now owned by the National Trust, the last private owner was society hostess Maud Russell who bought the property with her husband Gilbert in 1934.  A wealthy patron of the arts, Mrs. Russell commissioned several artists to embellish the mansion which had incorporated parts of an Augustinian priory dating fromt he 13th century.  A connection with Evelyn Waugh's set of 'bright young things' led to her meeting Whistler.  In 1938, Rex Whistler transformed the original Entrance Hall into a grand Drawing Room with trompe-l'oeil painting inspired by the Gothic architecture of the demolished priory.  

A detail showing a trompe-l'oeil niche.
Mottisfont Abbey.
Photo by David Giles, April 24, 1994, issue of Country Life.

The mural was personalized by Whistler to illustrate Maud Russell's interests, as shown with this view of a niche containing books and a lute along with an ermine-draped urn.  The puffs of smoke refer to her distaste of bonfires. 



A detail of the upper walls of the Drawing Room.
Mottisfont Abbey.
Photo by David Giles, April 24, 1994, issue of Country Life.

Rex Whistler's final mural of this type, he added this note in small print:  "I was painting this ermine curtain when Britain declared war on the Nazi tyrants, Sunday, September 3rd. RW"   Small objects were left, as seen on the cornice of the room in the image above, to suggest that the artist would return.

More of the artistry of Rex Whistler will be presented a future post of The Devoted Classicist.