by Nancy Armitage
An Abundance of Angels
I knew Mrs. Arabella Huntington had a great affection for Angels; I just didn’t realize the abundance of angels that surrounded her life in all her Huntington Mansions. I’m including all Angels, Cupids, & even Italian “Putti” images. Many of the Huntington angels are very playful & humorous.
There are many food that carry the angel name, all these recipes are light and thats how they got the name Angel. Like Angel Food Cake with berries (very popular 1870’s – 1890’s), Bisquick “Angel Buns” (biscuits), my heart-shaped “Angel” Cream Scones, Angel Hair Ppasta (small thin spagetti noodle), & Angels on Horseback (a popular hors d’oeuvre made of oysters cooked & wrapped in bacon), my mother used to add waterchestnuts for crunch.
Angels appeared in many of Mrs.Huntington’s collected treasures! The Madonna & Child paintings & Mrs. Arabella Huntington’s French Sevres Pink & white dinnerware she owned. Cupids and angels were on gold clocks (above) & many sculptures outside at the San Marino Ranch, CA . Italian putti were abundant in a 3-D sculpture plates of the months of the year in her Main Hallway in (No. 2 NYC) & also in Mrs. Huntington’s White Drawing-Room in her mansion on 57th street, NYC & Mrs. Belle Worsham mansion Drawing-Room or Parlor on 54th St. also.
At the San Marino Ranch, Mrs. Arabella Huntington had many angels in the Mansion & out in the Huntington Gardens. Humorous Angels on clocks and windows, painted alfresco on walls and in the murals she commissioned. There are angels sculptures in the garden, on several dinnerware she owned included angels, & in many of her Madonna & Child paintings they had many angels .
French Painter: Bouguereau
We know Mrs. Arabella Huntington owned the painting called “Temptation” by French painter, Bouguereau. When she was Mrs. Belle Worsham & lived in her 54th Street mansion in the 1880’s, The “Temptation” painting hung in Drawing-Room It was photographed in black & white, this large painting is hanging on the wall.
Bouguereau painted many angel paintings. Bouguereau painting named “Cupid”. There is a sweet angel sitting on a rock with a bow & arrow in hand, (below). The Mr. Collis P. Huntington’s mansion had a 5-page painting list – “Boy” by Bouguereau. Could this be the same painting as Cupid painting below?? The list has to be dated 1900 or later, because it states at the top Mrs. C. P. Huntington painting located No. 2 57th Street. NYC NY. “Valuations for insurance purposes”.
Angels/ Cupids Romantic Paintings at C. P. & Arabella Huntington Mansion No. 2 57th Street NYC, NY (1900 List was 214 paintings & their value at this address)
Mrs. Arabella Huntington also collected many Angel paintings. In the circa 1900 – paintings from the No. 2 NYC mansion here are a few cupid painting listed:
“Boy” by Wm.-Adolpe Bouguereau Romantic French painter $1,000.00 (Gallery – 1st floor) vertical painting -oil on canvas, signature: “W. Bouguereau” created – 1890 on bottom right, width: 30″ x Height 46″ “Amour a l’affut or “Love/Cupid on the Lookout”
“Nymphs & Cupids” by “Diaz” -Narcisse Virgilio Diaz de la Pena ( French painter & from French Barbizon school & influenced by Correggio) $12,000.00 (Gallery -1st floor)……
[From a black & white photo, this image could be “Nymphs tormented by Cupid”, oil on panel horizontal painting: height 10″ x width 16″ – Description: 3 nymphs in the foreground & cupid central figure handing one a flower & more nymphs 3 in the background in lush landscape. Photo from Collection of Harvard Art Museum]
“Nymph & Cupid” by A. Kauffman $1000.00 (located on the 2nd Floor) Angelica Kauffmann (Swiss artist) “”Nymph & a Cupid” oil on vertical oblong panel depicts a lady/nymph seating/laying out in the woods with cupid behind her rubbing her hair.
“Cupid in the Wood” by J. G. Brown ( ?) no price (2nd floor) John George Brown (1831-1913) depict idyllic scenes of children
Bacchus, Nymphs, & Cupid” by Polemburg $500.00 (2nd Floor) [Poelenburgh, Cornelis van] oil on canvas or panel, known for Mythological figures enjoying the harvest, with wine & love.
“Wine & Mirth” by French artist- Henri Charles Antoine Baron $100.00 (2nd floor) oil genre painting with figures & landscapes – lively & festive scenes.
“Girl & Child” (Below) by Wm. – Adolphe Bouguereau (French) Valused at $8,000.00 (1900) could be Bouguereau’s pony ride (located on the 2nd Floor) or Girl with Baby Angel it could be called.
L’ Amour Vemquer [L’Amour Vainqueur] -Love the Conqueror] 1880 by French painter: Leon Bazile Perrault Cupid Amour is the Conqueror. Could be a drawing or a etching in black & white. Kneeing girl giving a baby angel a piggy back ride. ($2,000.00 2nd Floor)
“Cupid & Psyche” by Jean-Ernest Aubert painting created in 1882, oil on board 25 1/4 x 34′ signed and dated, depicted young baby Cupid with head band & psyche woman in blue dress warming their hand above the fire.
Several paintings are by celebrated French painter: William Adolphe Bouguereau. He was famous for the painting, the “Birth of Venus” with Venus standing on a large shell & angels surrounding her. He was also famous for amazing portraits, Angel paintings, & cupid paintings.
I just recently found a black & white photograph (above) that illustrates Mrs. Huntington owning another Bouguereau painting in No. 2 bedroom. What looks like a guest bedroom in Huntington Mansion at No. 2. 57th street, NYC.
This black & white photo (above) tells a little French story: hanging over the fireplace is a large vertical rectangular painting. probably 36″ x 40″ or larger by Bouguereau painting; hanging in a huge ornate gold frame. It is highly unusual in the Gilded Age to have a master painting on the upstair or 2nd floor of the mansion.The painting’s subject matter is of a cupid girl playing a game with a baby angel on her back (like a pony ride). I can’t find the name or details of this painting. The French-themed guest room had 2 twin beds & a day bed, too. The bedroom decorated with beautiful French damask wall paper & damask fabric on 2 cute French chairs. There is French Sevres looking white and gold vases on each end of the mantle; with a French Sevres white and gold clock in the middle of the mantle. Over the long high window is a ornate French wreath in the middle (made of wood) & pretty French swags decoration flowing down the window covering. The bottom of the window also have detail wood decor. Other small 5″x7″ & 11″ x14″ paintings hang on the walls, mostly of women, some look like Renaissance era; probably prints. Maybe this was the Huntington “Renaissance Room”. I remember on the Huntington 5-page painting list, one of the rooms in No. 2 is labeled “Renaissance Room”, I wonder if this is the room??
Angels painted on the walls & ceiling – East Salon/ Large Dining-Room (No. 2)
In the East Salon or Large Dining-Room was a grand rectangular ceiling mural (above). It was a stunning yellow & blue sky ceiling fresco, with lots of angels. Choosing yellow for the background was very bold and it helped the images pop.The gold/gilded ceiling is amazing in it ornateness, border after border after border! The artist, Elihu Vedder was commissioned by the Huntington’s to paint the East Salon mural [& all the muses paintings too] by the Huntington’s & was painted between about (1891-1895). Some of the muses painted, look like Arabella Huntington. In the middle circle of 3 the image (Above) is flanked at the corners by 4 male angels.
Also, on the ornate white marble fireplace one of many angels sprinkled about this hand-carved white marble mantlepiece. I have read that Ringling Bros. Museum in Florida now owns this amazing piece; when the Huntington Mansion was being dismantled in 1925, Mr. Ringling bought several gorgeous pieces. 2 Boucher-like tapestries flank the ornate white marble fireplace with angels surrounding the main oblong feminine images.
There is a small sitting area in front of the white marble fireplace. There is a lovely needlepoint French settee (3-person French couch with 8 legs) with a cute illustration of a 4 angels riding nautical animals (seahorse?). They have beautiful whimsical floral swags above the angels, in front of the settee is a satin foot stool.
6 Angel faces painted in Mrs. Huntington White “Drawing- Room” NYC (Louis XV Salon)
In the 1890’s Collis & Arabella Huntington even commissioned famous painter: Edwin H. Blashfield to paint (fresco- style) on the walls in “White Drawing-Room” – French Salon (No. 2- NYC). There are 6 little angel faces (below in a black & white photo) painted on the walls in “Mrs. C. P. Huntington’s White Drawing-Room” (No. 2), photo taken in 1903 by Architectural Record Magazine. They also published 2 other photographs in the Huntington Mansion, one of the Family Dining-Room and one of the East Salon Room. I was so excited when I found these informative photos.
Round Della Robbia-looking primitive or “Madonna & Child with angels” – No. 2 to San Marino Ranch
Mrs. Arabella Huntington’s collection of Madonna & Child paintings, she bought in Paris in 1907, had a round painting. The collection had what I thought was a round Della Robbia painting on canvas. It was displayed in the Main Hall (No. 2) & later hung in Arabella Huntington memorial exhibition (SMR) on velvet wallpaper (by 1927). Once I researched this painting, I found out it was not a Della Robbia nor a “Madonna & Child” with Angels painting….
This round painting (above) with a round ornate gold frame carved nuts and pods. The painting is called “Ascension of Young Saint – Louis of Toulouse”? The French saint is flanked by 2 angels wearing lavender flowing gowns on each side of the saint. It is painted by Lorenzo di Credi (1485-1490). Its dimension are 23″ across in a beautiful (Della Robbia- looking wreath) gold frame. It is painted with tempera on canvas & described as “Renaissance circular” paintings. It is now housed at the Huntington Library in San Marino, CA
Angel Plateware at San Marino Ranch
In Mrs. Arabella Huntington’s Dinnerware, she had several plates with angels on the dishes. A hot-pink & white & gold with angels on theme by Sevres, a French company. She also owned Italian Capomonte plates, with scenes of cupids, putti & people celebrating on the rim on the 3-D plate, created in Naples. I found out these plates existed in the Huntington Mansion on the San Marino Ranch (in the Huntington Mansion inventory book). The French Sevres angel hot pink plates (above) are now housed at the Huntington Library in San Marino, CA
This has actually been a fun little scavenger hunt in search of Huntington angels. I have only touched the surface of Mrs. Arabella Huntington abundance of humorous & cheeky angels & cupids. I will continue my search of angels at Huntington Library. Because it is another puzzle piece of how the Huntingtons lived in the Gilded Age.
Inside the Huntington's Story 