On October 23, 2024, Miami’s art community gathered at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens for the much-anticipated opening of Pastiche, a site-specific art exhibition by Miami artist Lauren Shapiro. The evening drew more than 300 guests to celebrate Vizcaya’s Contemporary Arts Program, the latest addition to the city’s vibrant art scene. Hosted in Vizcaya’s historic […]
...Vizcaya’s patron, James Deering, purchased a small painting from the Anglo-Florentine art dealer and collector, Arthur Acton (1873–1953) in 1914, which would decorate the guest bedroom known as Lady Hamilton, located in the North Tower. This oval-shaped painting shows two young women among architectural ruins engaged in conversation before one monumental marble vase that...
Helena Gomez, CuratorMay, 2024 This post offers new insights into the identities of two marble portraits by Josep Clarà in Vizcaya’s collection. An Artistic Legacy Vizcaya is home to two marble busts (figs. 1 and 2) by renowned Catalan sculptor, Josep Clarà (1878-1958). Unlike most objects on display at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, these sculptures...
Spring Hill Bourbon Whiskey. Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Despite having its most active years during the age of Prohibition, Vizcaya was anything but a dry estate. Archival purchase records and letters tell us that James Deering bought thousands of dollars’ worth of alcohol for Vizcaya and many original bottles remain in the collection today. Despite...
Designing Vizcaya The design and construction of Vizcaya was a unique challenge. Instead of designing the house and then finding objects to complement it, as was usually done, Vizcaya was designed around objects selected by James Deering and his artistic director Paul Chalfin. The pair made several trips abroad to purchase objects before the house...
By Elena Davila, Archives Digitization Intern If you have toured Vizcaya on a late afternoon, you may have been pleasantly surprised by the sound of music filling the home. The instrument responsible is the impressive pipe organ, located in the Living Room on the Northeast corner of the home, with its pipes housed directly behind...
Through the artistic vision of Paul Chalfin, Vizcaya’s Artistic Director, these dragons were converted into electric lights, effectively merging aesthetics with utility. The dragons’ open mouths were outfitted with three lightbulbs and installed on the north and south sides of the second-floor galleries of the Main House. Conservation Treatment These fantastical light fixtures were recently...
Mr. Deering’s Sitting Room graces the second floor of the Main House with its grandeur. Designed in the neoclassical style, the room exudes symmetry, rigid lines, and opulent gilding, reminiscent of the 1750s European aesthetic associated with Napoleon Bonaparte. This style also extends to other rooms, including James Deering’s bedroom, creating an aura of timeless...
Introduction to Romanticism Movement During the 18th century, an artistic movement known as Romanticism spread throughout Europe, seeking to evoke an idealized world of rural simplicity in contrast to the urban, industrialized centers of the cities. This nostalgic vision of a peaceful countryside was expressed through various art forms, including oil paintings and lead garden...
Gaston Lachaise Lachaise (1882–1935) joined the Vizcaya project in mid-1920 as the formal gardens were nearing completion. A prominent sculptor, he was commissioned to create sculptural work on top of decorative columns for the Marine Garden. This garden marked the transition from the formal gardens to the more natural and wild Lagoon Gardens that no...
If you love orchids, you don’t miss this special behind-the-scenes tour on Friday, December 13, 11:30 a.m. Join Vizcaya’s own orchid specialist as we go inside the museum’s greenhouse to explore rare orchids and learn expert plant care tips.
Tickets are just $39 per person and include museum admission. Spots are limited, so reserve yours now!
