Preface

I

There are many treasures tucked away in the private world that Rachel (Bunny) Lambert Mellon created for herself, her husband Paul Mellon, and their family at Oak Spring. Set in the rolling landscape of the rural Virginia Piedmont, only a little more than an hour from the center of the nation’s capital, Oak Spring provided the Mellons with the tranquility to pursue their individual passions and the space to reflect on their shared interests. Oak Spring was where they called home.

Rachel Mellon’s exquisite Oak Spring garden is well-known, as also is her magnificent library, which overflows with rare treatises on plants, gardens, and landscapes. Much less recognized, though one of the true treasures of Oak Spring, is a spectacular work of art, a unique trompe l’oeil mural more than nine feet tall that adorns the vestibule of the formal greenhouse. In this book, Mrs. Mellon’s close friend Professor Lucia Tongiorgi Tomasi, with help from Mrs. Mellon’s longtime librarian, Tony Willis, brings to life this unique work, exploring its genesis, its symbolism, and its position in the long tradition of still life and trompe l’oeil painting.

The Oak Spring trompe l’oeil is the product of a unique collaboration. It was made possible by the considerable technical skills of the French painter Fernand Renard, but it is infused with Mrs. Mellon’s personality and her unique sense of style. It reflects Mrs. Mellon’s discerning taste and provides a window into a creative life worth celebrating for its intellectual vigor and its multilayered sensibility.

There is also a surprising coda. Hidden behind cupboard doors in the living room of the Mellon home is a smaller trompe l’oeil. Also a collaborative project, this time between Paul Mellon and the renowned English trompe l’oeil artist Martin Battersby, this painting gives a personal insight into Paul Mellon. It reveals a life not simply centered on horses and field sports, for which he was well-known, but one that was also highly cultured, intellectually rich, and embraced a love of fine books and exquisite art.

On behalf of the staff at the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, I hope that you enjoy this glimpse into the private world of Paul and Bunny Mellon. These two unique works of art illuminate the lives of two of the foremost art collectors and philanthropists of the late twentieth century and exemplify the sophistication of their artistic vision.

Sir Peter Crane frs President Oak Spring Garden Foundation