Rienzi is the house museum and collection of European paintings and decorative arts at the MFAH. Our articles highlight elements of the collection, discuss additions and changes to the house or gardens, and review events held at Rienzi for those of you not able to be here in person. Feel free to e-mail rienziblog@mfah.org with questions, comments, and suggestions. Welcome!
About Caroline Cole
Caroline Cole joined Rienzi as Curatorial Assistant in the fall of 2010, after completing her M.A. in the history of decorative arts and design at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum and Parsons School for Design in New York City, and a B.A. from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
Posts by Caroline Cole, page 1
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16 OctTue / 2012
The volume of paintings produced by George Romney in the mid-1770s through the mid-1790s, for the most prestigious members of society, surpassed any other painter at the time. Although he was a competitor of artists like Sir Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough, Romney charged significantly less for a portrait sitting than his Royal Academy counterparts. Also, by making himself accessible to an emerging moneyed class and avoiding lofty political associations, Romney catered...
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15 OctMon / 2012
George Romney was born in 1734 in Dalton-in-Furness, a small town near the scenic Lake District in the northwestern part of England. He was one of 11 children born to Anne Romney and her furniture-maker husband, John. At the age of 10, George was removed from school to apprentice to his father. Although he would later teach himself the history, drama, poetry, and classical literature considered necessary as artistic sources, his technical training as...
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08 OctMon / 2012
George Romney rose from provincial obscurity to become one of the most fashionable portrait painters in 18th-century London. The story of his remarkable rise to fame is a tale that illuminates the debates, concerns, and hopes of artists during a period of momentous change in the British art world. This Sunday, Rienzi opens its fall exhibition, "Visions of Fancy" . . .
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13 AugMon / 2012
Once the sculpture’s restoration in its many phases was complete, an additional challenge remained: getting the 800-pound piece back to Rienzi. The project required some calculated planning and a pinch of fairy dust.
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13 AugMon / 2012
The restoration of 'La Fée aux fleurs' was a six-month process. "I had never seen the sculpture 'Tinker Bell,' but its existence had acquired an almost mythical quality. It was obviously of some significance, possibly French 19th-century. Ingrid and I thought that if we removed all the rust and old paint that obscured the intricate details, and invested a lot of time, the cast-iron sculpture might look impressive again.
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