Step inside Marble House and the roar of Newport's oceanfront society fades to a quiet hum of history. Beyond its marble salons and gilded ballroom lies the Gothic Room, a hushed, chapel-like gallery created for Alva Vanderbilt's personal trove of medieval art. Understanding this singular space begins with the story of Marble House itself-an $11 million birthday gift completed in 1892.
The Gothic Room, in the Gothic Revival -style, was designed to display Alva Vanderbilt's collection of Medieval and Renaissance decorative objects. The stone fireplace in the room was copied by Allard and Sons from one in the Jacques Cœur House in Bourges. The room was designed around the painting of Louis XVI and during the French Revolution the painting was cut out of the frame and sold.
The morning room/library. The Marble Hallway that was only used eight weeks a year. The Gothic Room was essentially a private museum and Alva purchased the whole collection at once from Emile Gavet.
The Gothic Room in the Marble House mansion that housed the Vanderbilt's collection of Gothic Arts. The Marble House mansion is located in Newport, Rhode Island. Interior view of the Gothic Room.
The Marble House is a Gilded Age mansion designed by Richard Morris Hunt and built from 1888 to 1892. Originally designed in 1889 to showcase Alva Vanderbilt's curated medieval and Renaissance treasures from Paris (now part of the Ringling Museum), this room. The Gothic Room The Gothic Room is a unique space within Marble House, showcasing Alva Vanderbilt's eclectic taste.
This room contrasts with the rest of the mansion's classical style. Stained Glass Windows: Beautiful stained glass windows cast colorful light into the room, creating a mystical atmosphere. In the summer of 2015, a rare, 15th century Sienese gold ground cassone (chest) original to the Vanderbilt collection at Marble House was returned to the Gothic Room after a lengthy restoration that combined the scholarly curiosity and technical expertise of now.
Hidden away from the mansion's more classical spaces, the Gothic Room provides a medieval counterpoint to Marble House's predominant style. William K. Vanderbilt used this room to display his collection of rare medieval and Renaissance treasures, creating a personal museum within his home.
Alva had a collection of Medieval and Renaissance objects and artwork, for which the Gothic Room was built. In contrast to the rest of the house's Louis XIV and Louis XV décor, this Gothic-revival sitting room is modeled after the interior of a house in Bourges, France (built between 1443 and 1451 for Jacques Coer, a prosperous merchant).