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 5
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01 JulFri / 2011
One of the challenges in designing the interior of Rienzi’s foyer has been that the room is asymmetrical, with sharp bend midway down the hall. In order to preserve the look of an eighteenth century room, we sought to create a balanced the hallway featuring furniture and paintings from the Neoclassical era.
The foyer has traditionally featured a pair of gilded pier tables, one of the best examples of Neoclassical design in Rienzi’s collection. Just as...
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27 JunMon / 2011
Rienzi’s foyer has been a subject on the minds of the curatorial department for much of this year, with several renovations underway since January.
Filled with natural sunlight from the motor court, the room creates a lovely entryway for Rienzi’s guests -- but up until recently it has been quite unwelcoming to its artwork. Balancing the two has been something of a challenge for us.
The passageway we refer to as the foyer, was part of the 1972...
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22 AprFri / 2011
Of the many examples of English portraiture in Rienzi’s collection, a favorite is that of Rienzi’s youngest sitter, Esmé Stuart, 5th Duke of Lennox and 2nd Duke or Richmond—a grand title for a small boy of about 3 or 4 years old. The painting, attributed to Jan Weesop, a Flemish painter active in England around 1650, was the topic of a recent Gallery Talk in Rienzi's Ballroom.
Helga Aurisch, curator of European art at the MFAH, spoke...
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