Hearst Castle

Hearst Castle, once owned by William Randolph Hearst, is probably the strangest historical house/museum that I have ever visited in my life, aesthetically-speaking. The exterior of the main house looks like the facade of a Spanish Renaissance church, for starters, and is complete with two bell towers. And the interior of the main waiting room and dining room are decorated with choir stalls for wainscoting. The ceilings are carved with panels, the walls above the wainscoting are covered with tapestries, and paintings are interspersed in the remaining wall surface area. It's all super bizarre.

But I'm drawn to this place, too. It seems to have all of the things that I enjoy about art and art history: it is a collector museum, it has Baroque and Neo-classical art (including a copy of Canova's "The Three Graces"), it even has ancient art (such as an Egyptian sculpture of Sekhmet). There are gardens and mosaics and a beautiful seaside coast. The castle even has connections with feminism, since it was designed by the architect Julia Morgan, who was the first woman to receive a degree in architecture from the School of Fine Arts in Paris. William Randolph Hearst's mother was also connected to the Suffragette movement, which makes me interested in his family. I can even connect the estate to art crime. I can even connect my interest in Old Hollywood to this place, since Hearst would invite stars like Clark Gable, Cary Grant, and Charlie Chaplin to visit.

It seems like this place is just calling for me to write something about it. An article? A dissertation? I'm not sure yet. But for now I'm thinking about how this place is full of contradictions: New World (California) vs. Old World, traditionalism (in style) vs. progressivism (female architect), fictive environments (including the movie theater and the impromptu plays that Hearst's Hollywood guests would perform), and public vs. private spaces. Maybe there is something I can derive from his mistress Marion Davies, who acted as hostess alongside Hearst? We'll see what I come up with after I finish mulling these ideas over in my mind.

Ceiling of the waiting room

Wainscoting in the waiting room - this was inspired by another architect

Statue of Sekhmet rests on an Art Deco fountain designed by Julia Morgan

The dining hall

Detail of the Game Room, next to one of the billiard tables

Detail of the movie theater in the house

A copy of Canova's "The Three Graces," by Boyer (late 19th century)

This indoor swimming pool was my favorite place on the estate - gorgeous!