Museum of Fine Arts, Houston has another house museum not far from Bayou Bend.  It is called Rienzi.

Rienzi, the MFAH house museum for European decorative arts and paintings, is situated on four acres of wooded gardens in the historic River Oaks neighborhood, about five miles from the main MFAH campus and about two miles from Bayou Bend, the MFAH house museum for American decorative arts and paintings.

Formerly the home of philanthropists Carroll Sterling Masterson and Harris Masterson III, Rienzi was designed by prominent Houston architect John Staub in 1952. Opened to the public in 1999, Rienzi houses a substantial collection of European decorative arts, paintings, furnishings, porcelain, and miniatures. 

From the Musuem of Fine Arts Houston’s website: http://www.mfah.org/visit/rienzi/

To be honest, as we walked up the path to Rienzi, I had my doubts.  The azaleas were beautiful.

There were beautiful sculptures, and I could tell I wanted to visit the gardens.  But the flat roofed boxy mansion was not overtly impressive.  (Mid-century modern – I read.)

 

Be still my heart.  There was no way I was prepared for what we were to see, and I can’t even show you pictures. (Look on their website, and you can see some pictures.)  I wanted to take back every doubting thought I had ever had.  It was beyond wonderful.  I liked it.  I loved, loved, loved it.  European portrait paintings filled the walls as well as  other pieces of decorative arts.  It was more than my feeble mind could comprehend.  The Rienzi is another reason to visit Houston.

 The view from the balcony is breathtaking.  My picture does not do it justice.

Love this statue tucked in among the plants.

The eagles topping garden post are impressive.  Inside the house there are similar eagles with spread wings that top each drapery cornice.  Beyond wonderful.

The sign pointed to the “Folly Garden.”  I had no idea, but not one to miss anything, we went to look through the gate.

This is what we saw.  A statue on the ground.

Then there were columns that appeared to be ruins.  When I got home, I learned that Folly Gardens were popular in French and English gardens of the eighteenth century.  These gardens containe objects for fun and not function.  They are frivolous objects installed in gardens.  I found the following information on-line.

Gwyn Headley and Wim Meulenkamp, authors of the book ”Follies,” offer the broadest and most amusing definition, calling them ”structures erected in complete disregard of the usual building practices and tastes, on sites that bear no relation to the ease of access, for purposes so bizarre or whimsical as to make their cost out of all proportion to their spurious utility.”

There are few examples of follies in America.  The Belevedere Castle in Central Park was mentioned.  Just think.  Rienzi has follies.  Like I always say.  Life is a classroom.  I am so glad I learned something.

So pretty.  This garden was all white – except for the green.  But you knew that.

 This sculpture is of a crane on a dragon turtle.  Interesting.  

The “Flower Fairy” is a newly reinstalled piece.  For years they had referred to her as “Tinker Bell”, but during restoration, they discovered her name ‘ “Le Fee aux flours” or “Flower Fairy” to us Americans.

What an amazing house and gardens.  Houston might have horrible traffic, and no zoning, but they have fantastic gardens and museums.  I want to go again.

Blessings to you and yours.