Our last endeavor was to see as much of the Huntington's interiors as possible.

Interestingly, Henry and Arabella purchased Boy in 1921 for $728,000, the highest price ever paid for a painting at the time. By bringing a British treasure to the United States, the Huntingtons imbued an already well-known image with even greater notoriety on both sides of the Atlantic. But beyond its cultural significance, the painting is considered a masterpiece of artistic virtuosity. Gainsborough's command of color and mastery of brushwork are on full display in the painting.

On the opposite wall in the gallery is Kehinde Wiley’s A Portrait of a Young Gentleman. According to the information provided, "This beachy, cool young gentleman echoes his counterpart: Thomas Gainsborough’s The Blue Boy, painted some 250 years earlier. The paintings are exactly the same size and are set into identical frames—one gilt and the other painted black. Wiley’s model, with his hand on his hip and a hat in hand, borrows Blue Boy’s stance. Wiley makes us see that self-fashioning, pomp, and posturing are qualities not only of eighteenth-century English society, but also of contemporary street fashion and global black culture." There is a lot going on in this painting.

I was also entranced by the Cinderella Tile Panel, 1862. Decorative tiles were one of the earliest media that William Morris and his business partners mastered. The tiles were painted by Morris, Faulkner, and Faulkner's sisters in addition to workmen employed by the firm. With their simple backgrounds and medieval costume, they show Morris' interest in the art of the Middle Ages, which he felt to be purer than that of his own time. 

And tucked around a corner was this masterpiece by 19th-century British artist and designer Edward Burne-Jones (1833–1898). Burne-Jones was among the most influential artists of his day. A friend and collaborator of William Morris, he was a designer of stained glass, decorated furniture, and textiles. Hundreds of working drawings relating to his design accomplishments are held at The Huntington, as well as one of the most popular installations, this two-story-high stained glass window (1898).

What's extra cool about this Coade-Stone Torchère (1809), is the material from which it was crafted and the woman behind the material. Eleanor Coade established her business in 1769. It was an immediate success due, in part, to the remarkable versatility and durability of her secret recipe for Artificial Stone which had "a property peculiar to itself of resisting the frost and consequently of retaining that sharpness in which it excels every kind of stone sculpture". Pretty forward thinking!

A personal favorite, perhaps because of my love of all things Italian, is Venice, St. Mark's (1735) by Giovanni Antonio Canal, called Canaletto. Canaletto, whose Venetian views reflect the Italian tradition of veduta, or view painting, was among the favorite artists collected by travelers on the Grand Tour - a journey taken by young, aristocratic men primarily through France and Italy. The Grand Tour instilled in travelers a genuine feeling for Italian scenery and a desire to acquire pictures of the places visited. This view shows Venice's most famous piazza, with the elaborate facades of St. Mark's basilica and the Doge's Palace. Wanderlust was evoked!

It's always amazing to ogle old books. The Huntington’s collection of over 400,000 books from the hand press era is one of the world’s richest sources for the printed record of Great Britain and the United States. Copies of more than a third of known English editions through 1640 are present, and nearly a third from 1641 to 1700. These include multiple copies of the Shakespeare and Ben Jonson folios, many rare early quartos, and most of the play collections of John Philip Kemble and the Dukes of Devonshire. The Huntington is also home to the Bridgewater library, the oldest large family collection of England to survive virtually intact into modern times.

Always a highlight, The Bible produced by Johann Gutenberg (ca. 1397–1468) was the first substantial book printed with movable type in the West. It appeared around 1455. Of an edition of approximately 175 copies, only 48 survive today: 36 on paper and 12 on prepared animal skin, known as vellum, such as the one seen here. The Huntington’s is one of three vellum copies in the United States. The book’s large format and ornate binding suggest that it was intended for institutional rather than personal use and that it belonged to a wealthy monastery or church. It is so amazing to think about the age of the items here and that the still exist for us to be amazed. Places, like The Huntington, are priceless protectors.

Our second to last stop was actually where we should have began. "Whether you’re a first-time or repeat visitor, the Mapel Orientation Gallery is a favorite first stop on your visit to the world-renowned galleries and gardens of The Huntington. Learn about Henry E. Huntington’s impact on Los Angeles urban planning and transportation, watch a short video about how The Huntington came to be, plan your day with the help of one of our docents, borrow a free audio guide, and share your own top tips for visiting." Oh, and hug on Blue Boy. Fun.

And as is the norm for me, we ended our day at the Gift Shop. While I didn't buy the Undressed Bowls by Ester Hörchner.. I did appreciate them. "When you fill the bowls, it looks as if she is bathing in your soup." When the spoon is removed, it is obvious that she is skinny dipping in your bowl. I just had to laugh. Some things just crack me up. It was the ideal way to end our day. And I left with an annual pass so I know I'll be back soon. There is so much more to be discovered.