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8 September 1901 — Dolobran, Haverford, Pennsylvania | |
Sunday. 8th [September 1901]. Breakfasted all together downstairs & at 11 set out in the Griscom omnibus to drive to Mr Widener’s house on the other side of Philadelphia. Nellie & I sat with Mr Griscom on the seat behind the coachman. It was a lovely day only rather windy. We reached the Widener palace about 12—& found a great Ohio stone edifice bigger than Stafford House—& built in the same sort of way. Old Mr Widener & his eldest son & his wife Mr & Mrs George W. received us. We were taken almost at once into the picture gallery where we found ourselves in the presence of many masterpieces as far as I am able to judge mostly genuine. There is the head of Leo X for wh Mr W. paid £18000—the Murrillo, La Gallega—Velasquez—Franz Hals, Guardi, Canaletto, Van Ostade &c &c & a good many good pictures of the Italian school, P. Veronese, Bellini (a fine head of a man) & di Credi, Binozzo, Gozzoli, & the disputed Botticelli. The gallery is nicely filled with seats at intervals & in the middle of the room there are glass cases containing beautiful objects mostly Tanagra figures in terra cotta—some of them very beautiful. After we had lingered some time in the gallery Mr Widener took us upon the 2nd floor where the passages ran round the centre hall & in wh hung countless other pictures of less value. Two wings sprang out from this centre building & in them are the sleeping rooms of the different members of the family. They are furnished with the greatest luxury & are not in the best taste—but they are all gorgeous. Old Mr Widener sleeps in a room having a great carved bed with an embroidered satin quilt such as one fancies might have belonged to Henri II. He has a sumptuous dressing room with presses for clothes, linen boots & all of the newest style & a large iron safe for valuables– Next comes his bathroom with every appliance for douches &c & with nickel silver taps to a marble bath such as one might think a Nora or a most extravagant woman might invent– I never saw such luxe effréné. Each suit of rooms was equally gorgeous– Mr G. Widener’s dressing table is covered with silver plaque. No one has a real toilet table but has their brushes &c put on a chest of drawers with a mirror hung on the wall behind it– This in England is essentially the habit amongst the middle class folk. Mr G. Widener’s son of 12 has his own room which is full of indecent photos &c of ballet dancers &c—vulgar and nauseous. Were I his mother I would forbid it. He has even pincushions hanging from the chandelier in the centre of room consisting of a facsimile of a woman’s leg & foot up to the hips– It made me turn away in disgust and one felt sorry to think of all the refined works of art which hung on every wall & looked down on such philistinism– Not but that the Widener family are kindly well mannered people but all their rooms remind one of the lowly origin & one could only think that the butcher & his family are wonderfully gentille considering that it is only 25 years since they raised themselves. I was told a story of Mr Widener which shows his solid good sense– In an electric car in wh he was some low ½ drunken fellow used bad language before some ladies– Mr Widener rebuked him & he answered him telling him to mind his own affairs & not to forget he himself was only a butcher. To this Mr W. quickly replied “Yes & I should be one still if I had not used my opportunities in education better than you have.” At last we got downstairs to luncheon wh was served in a great dining hall with carved & painted & gilt ceiling—fine tapestries, Spanish lustre plates, marble sideboard; curved dressers– An excellent repast was set before us– We had delicate “reed birds” which are supposed to be better than ortolans—green corn, sweetbreads—fine wines & iced tea– Afterwards coffee was served outside on the terrace under the great Corinthean porch– Then Mr G. Widener took Mr Griscom & me for a drive in his electric car round the garden & to see the electrical machine. It is a short distance from the house under the same roof as the great boilers for supplying hot water to the house & for heating it in winter. The whole place with its huge engines was spick and span as a new pin with white tiled walls & flooring. From there he took us to the stables where are about 20 horses kept as in a palace. The great coachhouse with numberless different carriages—the different harness rooms—a great riding school spanned by a marvellously big iron roof—all this fills one with amazement. The grooms & servants are all English & are sumptuously lodged. A polo ground is being made behind the stables & a large field is being levelled for it. We were accompanied by the little 8 year old daughter of Mr G. W. who rode before us on her bycicle—& we met the two sons of 12 & 7, driving themselves in another motor car. One was almost dazzled by the feeling of the immense amount of money which everything about this family represents. The curious thing is that the enormous palace of the Wideners is built on a small piece of ground entirely surrounded by roads which one must cross in order to get to the stables, farms & property. The grounds are thrown open perpetually to the public who do not move aside from or lift their hats to the owners. On returning to the house I found the German governess of “Dimple” as they call the little girl, entertaining the company by playing to them on the piano but I was requested to proceed to the picture gallery where I found Mr & Mrs Griscom & Mr Widener were entertaining the newly arrived Mr Johnston the great American art critic who is the most famous lawyer in the U.S. I soon found out in talking with him that he has real knowledge of art & we carried on a lively conversation on the subject. He was very amusing on the subject of Mr Behrensen who has such a following of admirers & whose ideas of honesty in the matter of picture dealing was not quite ours. He spoke of the “Leonardo” B. had obtained from American’s gallery & I found out that it is the picture Morelli had given to Donna Laura Minghetti & she had sold at an enormous price & had told me about in the winter. She knew it was not a Leonardo but since B. would have it as one & wished to buy it for an American she had gladly held her tongue & taken the money. I told him this without mentioning names. All this while Widener himself sat by silent but happy. One could see that Johnson is his mentor in things artistic. It appears that J. has a good many pictures himself in Philadelphia & said he would be happy to let me see them & we parted great friends. During this time tea was handed in the gallery & we then looked round again at the pictures. At about 5 we prepared to start back to Dolobran. Mr & Mrs Griscom & I went inside the carriage the rest outside. We got back just in time to dress for dinner. The President is getting better & better. | |
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