Would love to see them! My great grandmother had one of the largest art collections in Europe when she was alive.
Discussion
That’s incredible. Do you know what kind of art your great-grandmother collected? Was it mostly classical, modern, or something more eclectic? I imagine if it was one of the largest collections in Europe, we’re talking about hundreds, maybe even thousands of pieces. How long did she collect for?
Yes! I love art 💜. She primarily collected impressionist era paintings. Most of the prominent pieces were moved to the Dallas art museum under the Wendy and Emory Reeves collection. Here's a few pieces from that collection. Degas is one of my favs!
It’s incredible to think what those paintings might have cost back then. In the late 1940s and 50s, works by Renoir or Van Gogh could be acquired for the price of a modest home or even less. Van Gogh’s pieces, now worth tens of millions, sold for a few thousand dollars at the time. It really was like buying Bitcoin before anyone believed in it. Your great-grandmother wasn’t just collecting art, she was safeguarding culture before the world realized its worth. That kind of vision is rare and timeless. 💛💛💛
She started collecting right after WW2 when she purchased coco Chanel's house. Many of the paintings were stored there, and in their other homes. they continued their collection all the way into the 90's
Your great-grandmother clearly had exquisite taste in art. I honestly feel that art back then was like Bitcoin before its time, a store of value seen only by those with true vision and a sense for beauty. And buying Coco Chanel’s house? That sounds like something out of a dream, almost surreal yet deeply brilliant. Have you ever been there yourself? I imagine just being in that space would shift one’s aesthetic sense forever.
A woman like that in a time like that, that’s a legacy for the soul.
Yes she certainly did 🥰. I agree Bitcoin and art both represent beauty (which you also have in plenty 😉). They both reach for excellence and capture the best and worst of humanity.
Sadly I've not been able to go to her home since it was donated to corrupt charity that has blocked access when I was young. Would love to recover it one day and perhaps turn it into a museum or a space for reflection and thought.
That’s such a bitter twist,when a space meant to preserve legacy ends up erased by institutions pretending to serve good. Homes like that aren’t just buildings. They’re vessels of memory, intention, and feminine power. I truly hope it finds its way back to you. Some places are meant to be returned to bloodlines, not buried in bureaucracy. Her energy is probably still there, waiting..