Calm Reflections Photography: Christmas tree

Monday, January 8, 2018

Biltmore Estate Buildings October 25, 2017

Jim decided to relax on the 25th, while I drove to the Biltmore Estate alone, since it was quite expensive and tiring. The exit road from our Airbnb room was scary when a car delivery truck was parked at the top of the blind hill. Screech! I missed it.

It took 5 hours to tour the Biltmore house. It was so huge! Unfortunately, there were many workers decorating for Christmas that day, so there was lots of scaffolding and boxes everywhere. The front lawn was full of workers too. The rooms were dark; probably to preserve the furniture, so photography was strictly high speed. The rooms were spectacular. I couldn't imagine living in such splendor. A visit to Biltmore Estate is quite a treat and I recommend buying tickets in advance.

Please note, none of these photos are for sale.

Biltmore Reflection

Banquet hall

Breakfast room

Salon

Music room

Horses on the property designed by Frederick Law Olmstead

Frederick Law Olmstead, Landscape Architect

Loggia covered room

Bannister in Loggia

Library

Library ceiling, "The Chariot of Aurora" by Giovanni Pellegrini from Pisini Palace in Venice 1720's

Napoleon's chess set

George Vanderbilt, owner

Edith Vanderbilt by Giovanni Boldini

Tapestry Gallery

George and Edith Vanderbilt

Mr. Vanderbilt's Bedroom

Oak Sitting Room

Mrs.Vanderbilt's Bedroom

Italian Garden from the Biltmore

I particularly enjoyed the painting of Rosita by Ignacio Zuloaga, purchased by George Vanderbilt at age 51 right before his death from complications of Appendicitis. His wife Edith didn͛t like the painting when it arrived from the framers a month after his death, so she sent it to the National Gallery in DC. Cornelia and John Francis Cecil, George͛s daughter and son-in-law, brought it back to Biltmore.