The Rothschild Archive, as a registered Trust and charity, has an educational remit which involves promoting and advancing education for the public benefit. This is conducted through various activities including making the archive’s records available to academic researchers in our London reading room, working alongside volunteers to complete transcription projects, and supporting global heritage institutions by lending items for public engagement.
On 17 June, a portrait of Leonora, Baroness Alphonse de Rothschild owned by The Rothschild Archive was installed in the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild at St Jean Cap Ferrat, France, under the watchful gaze of two archivists. The portrait is now part of the newly created ‘Salon de Famille’, created to assist visitor understanding of the link between the Villa and the Rothschild family.
The Villa and Béatrice de Rothschild
In 1905 Béatrice Ephrussi (1864-1934), daughter of Alphonse and Leonora de Rothschild, decided to construct her dream home in Cap Ferrat. When she first discovered the plot of land, she was immediately seduced by the beauty of the surroundings. Discovering that the Belgian King, Léopold II was also interested in it, she purchased it without hesitation. From 1912, the villa became her winter residence. With the development of the railway, the French Riviera had become popular with European high society and Béatrice joined other Rothschild family members who spent winters in their villas nearby in Cannes, Grasse and Monte Carlo.
The Villa designed by Béatrice was partly Italianate, partly Spanish, with a yellow (later changed to pink) façade and red pantiles. Each room was arranged specifically to show off her collection of objets d’art to their best advantage. The drawing-room was Louis XV style, and the dining-room was Gothic, while all the other rooms were Regency. The gardens surrounding the house were particularly beautiful and were laid in varying styles to include a Spanish, Florentine, stone, Japanese, English and French garden. Béatrice also created her own private zoo with exotic birds and animals including flamingos, monkeys, mongooses, and gazelles. The completed villa formed the backdrop for her art collections, some of which she had inherited from her father. But Béatrice had also travelled the world to acquire Old Master paintings, sculptures, objets d'art, rare porcelain and antique furniture.
Opening the Villa and its treasures to the public
In 1933, a year before her death, Béatrice bequeathed her Villa, the seven hectares of land and the entirety of its collections to the Académie des Beaux-Arts in memory of her parents; a plaque explaining this philanthropic deed still hangs outside the villa today. However, it was only in 2023 that the Academie des Beaux-Arts took over the direct management. Today a team of professionals care for the villa, the gardens and around 5,000 works of art.
Efforts have started on restoration, conservation and increasing public engagement. The Director of Collections has visited The Rothschild Archive and used its precious resources to inform the restorations, audio guides and guidebooks for visitors.
The portrait of Leonora now hangs in her daughter’s villa, alongside a portrait of her husband, both ready to welcome visitors in the style of le goût Rothschild once more. We hope she feels at home!
Find pout more about how to visit the villa and view Leonora’s portrait here https://www.villa-ephrussi.com/fr/home
