After review of the course syllabus that outlined assignments that needed attention prior to their due date, I chose to go to Hearst Castle in San Simeon California to view its’ art and architectural style for a few different reasons. One of them being that I have never been there before and neither had anyone else in my family unit. I have a six year old daughter that thinks very highly of Disney princesses and castles, so I was able to get her buy-in to go to the castle since I knew the experience wouldn’t be as entirely exciting for her as it would be me.
Another reason was so that it would allow my family the opportunity to plan a day trip out of town somewhere which is something that I am not great at making a priority so it was a win-win situation either way. I had previously only seen pictures of Hearst Castle and knew very little about the William Hearst history behind the construction and artwork contained therein but after my visit it is easy to see why the castle has more than a million visitors annually.
We chose to take a tour of the main building recommended for first time guests which is known as “Casa Grande” that houses the assembly room, refectory, morning room, billiard room and theater of the Castle estate at 68,500 square feet of 115 rooms and 40 bathrooms. Hearst was highly fond of a church in Ronda, Spain named the Santa Maria la Mayor which served as an inspiration for the towers of Casa Grande.
Upon first glance of the entrance to Case Grande it is evident that it was designed in a Mediterranean Revival style that emulates a Spanish Cathedral with its bell towers, carved tile and intricate decorations. The door is guarded by two knight statues and a sculpture above the door of Mary holding the infant Jesus. We entered through a side door to the Assembly room or what would be better known as a lounge or living room area in order to preserve the iron gate in the front entrance.
The Mediterranean influence was more visible in the Assembly room than the outside appearance of Case Grande. It was obvious that Hearst spared no expense in the construction and interior design of the Assembly room and that he had a grand appreciation of artwork, masterpieces and neoclassical sculpture. This room was filled with Baroque and Renaissance tapestries magnificently from top to bottom with a sense of royalty.
Many of the pieces artwork that lined the room illustrated angelic figures, Jesus and Mary. I would have thought Hearst a highly spiritual man if his taste in décor reflected his beliefs. The ceiling was most impressive with the hand carved walnut paneling and I was astounded thinking of the time it took to carve each and every piece. It easily explains why the construction of the castle was carried out over a period of 27 years.
Next we came to the refectory room that served as the dining hall. The room itself had middle age cathedral like features to it including a 27 foot high gothic fireplace and “Daniel”, tapestries. There was an amazing display of antique Spanish and French silver that included gleaming silver candlesticks that ran along the long tables along with an intense feel of the medieval setting. The bright silk banners that were hanging all throughout the sides of the room gave it a pop of color amplified by the natural light that comes in through the widow the way that Hearst wanted it to. He was not a fan of the stained glass windows for his castle. He wanted for himself and his guests to be able to see the beauty of the view outdoors from the castle.
Next we were led through the sun room and then onto the billiard room which reached its completion in 1934. It housed two billiard tables, a gothic fireplace and a Spanish ceiling painted with scenes of courtly life. The room was filled with 16th century French tapestry and plenty room for Hearst and his guests to enjoy a nightcap or cigar after dinner. The exit from the billiard room lead us into the private theater that was ornately built with red velvet paneling and gold Roman God like structures with lighting all throughout. The theater was built with 50 seats for Hearst’s guests to watch full length movies and newsreel.
The last place that we visited was the Roman indoor pool that was modeled after the ancient Roman baths of Caracalla and was designed with tile from floor to ceiling. The tile patterns were inspired by mosaics found in the 5th century Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna, Italy. The contrast of blue and shimmering gold colors had a breathtaking effect and this by far was my favorite room (part) of the castle. There were 8 white marble statues of ancient Greek and Roman goddesses and athletes sprinkled throughout the entire area.
Hearst was an eccentric art and antique buyer and he furnished the castle with a collection of items that he gathered on his many trips to Europe. He would purchase entire ceilings and facades of old European buildings and challenge his architect Julia Morgan to fit them into the design of the estate. For this reason, there are a variety of different architectural styles and several different time periods that are displayed throughout Casa Grande and its cottages.
The castle was built over a span of 28 years and Hearst spent $6.5 million dollars on the building and $3.5 million dollars on the art from all over the world to fill the rooms. His wide variety of taste in art and themes throughout his castle are what I liked the most about the castle. Walking into each room was like opening a gift on Christmas morning, you had no idea what was inside, but once you opened it the experience was magical!
I could relate to Hearst in his appreciation of art and the styles of art that were appealing to him as I have a wide variety of tastes in art. I think his taste in art was also a reflection of his beliefs and personality. He had a sense of royalty, care and concern for others, transparency, regard for religion, love for animals and a love for beauty. It is documented that George Bernard Shaw is supposed to have told Hearst that his castle was “what heaven would be like if God had your money, “ and I agree with that 100%. Pictures of Hearst Castle simply do not measure up to the experience of seeing it up close and personal. I don’t think the photos evoke emotions like visiting the castle in person does. It does make you feel like royalty when you are there and has a special magic to it.
Art is relevant today to us in everything we do. It allows us to be who we are as human beings, it gives us freedom of expression and freedom of stresses. It is how we view the world and brings purpose to humanity. Art is the communication of each of our stories in a unique but understandable way. Coming into this course I would not have considered myself to be an artist capable of creating something that would be classified as art. After being stretched outside my comfort zone I realize that I am an artist capable of expressing my story in a unique and beautiful way, it just took some intentionality on my part. I am thankful for the opportunity that I have had in Art Appreciation 111 to better understand the basics of art and the ability to now call myself a capable artist.
