Last updated: March 18, 2025
Article
Statue of the Siene in the Shadow
The History and Conservation of the Baigneuse Drapée Bronze in the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park Garden
Alexa “Lex” Rose (ACE CRDIP Curatorial Member), Lili Morris and Priscilla Richardson (George Perkins Marsh Career Exploration Interns)
Sitting in the shadow of the Mansion Garden is the sculpture The Seine or “Baigneuse Drapée”. It reflects an appreciation for art in nature from the Rockefeller Family and demonstrated history of conservation that Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park continues today.
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Baigneuse drapée (La Seine) was created in 1921 by artist Aristide Joseph Bonaventure Maillol.1 The sculpture is from the original casting of six with the most prominent being displayed in the Carousel Garden by the Louvre.2 Mailol’s work is not entirely abstract or completely figurative, following a trend of artists after World War I seeking a return to order. Artistide Maillol was born in 1861 in the most southern part of France. He studied the Fine arts in his youth, but eventually became disillusioned, instead inspired by the works of Paul Gaugin and Maurice Denis. He worked primarily with tapestries and ceramics early on, before moving his attention to sculptural works. In the mid 1930’s he married Dina Verny, who is possibly the model for the Siene.3 The sculpture is supposed to depict the Parisian River Siene anthropomorphized, seen specifically in the wavy garments surrounding the female’s body.
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We do not have a document from Mary and Laurance Rockefeller detailing why they decided upon this sculpture, but it does reflect an appreciation for art in nature passed on through the generations. We know it was purposefully bought by the Rockefellers for $36,738 from the Galerie Vierny in Paris. The Rockefellers have a large collection of more modern art throughout the Mansion, at other properties, and outside of this property the family was involved in the acquisition of art, most notably Laurance’s mother Abby Greene Aldrich Rockefeller founding of the Museum of Modern Art.4
Abby placed a variety of modern nude sculptures in the estate at Kykuit and passed the torch to Nelson, much to the dismay Laurance’s father which collected more historic pieces.5 Abby had a history of championing the arts and women’s organizations like the YWCA, which is similar to the many women who stewarded conservation in the park’s history, which perhaps this sculpture represented. Our gardens are similar to the design of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden purposefully blending the woods and planted annual flowers together. Her relative Neva Goodwin, who preserved this garden, remarks, “The history as well as the palpable ambience of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden create a sense of present, past and future flowing together...This garden is a very living place, responding readily to new ideas, new people, new circumstances. Perhaps this is because it carries so securely the imprint of those who have loved it ever since it began."6
Nelson Rockefeller, Laurance’s Brother, collected three other Maillol sculptures seen amongst the landscape of the Rockefeller’s Kykuit estate at the same time as ours. Nelson generally arranged the seventy-one sculptures at Kykuit to have representational works close to the house (like the Malliol pieces) and more abstract works further away.7 Laurence once said to Nelson, “In a way you remind me of a Sheppard with a flock of sheep. You gradually move (your sculptures) around (and around),” which Nelson replied with “Nothing could be further from the truth. I am looking for the ultimate position for each one with the thought of never moving it again”.8 The ultimate position of La Siene echoes Nelson’s curation, but ultimately showcases Laurence’s interests in the natural world.
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The placement of the Maillol sculptures at Kykuit is similar to La Siene and demonstrates the Rockefeller’s landscaping philosophy of first appreciating the landscape and then adding slight artistic enhancements.9 Bather Putting Up Her Hair was put in with other sculptures depicting bathing imagery near the two swimming pools, much like the Siene seen behind the pool on our property. Torso of the monument to Louis-August Blanqui is at the back of the inner garden, similar to the Siene being at the back of our Mansion’s garden. Finally, La Nuit is placed at the end of the putting green with the forest, hills, and Hudson River behind it blending with the natural landscape. Similarly, when the Siene was installed in the 1960s she is at the end of our putting green and the forest, hills, and the Ottauquechee River would have been seen behind her until the landscaped forest screen was installed in the 1970s (CLR 192). Given the similar positioning and artist it seems this statue is an homage to Laurance’s familial home at Kykuit, echoes his favorite areas to recreate in nature and appreciation of the landscape.
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Laurance and Mary purposefully collected artwork that represented the local community and continues the artwork trends of the families before them. Marsh collected artwork mainly from Europe and within Man and Nature consistently points to humans polluting natural resources much like Paris’ effect on The Siene. The Billings era artwork broadly depicts picturesque landscapes without human pollutants like The Siene symbolizes. The choice to purchase La Siene continues both of the main families' ideals while also pointing to positive change the Rockefellers assisted with. La Siene may have been a symbolic illusion to the previous state of the Ottaquechee River’s pollution much like The Siene in Paris, which Laurance gave funding towards the conservation and cleaning of through hiring private contractors and working with local organizations like Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences.
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Laurance specifically wrote letters to conservators asking how to care for the sculpture close to The Siene’s initial installation, clearly indicating the significance of the sculpture, and is a similar process to how it is conserved today. Due to the piece needing to be in the landscape due to its historic significance extra conservation is needed like in 2016 where the statue was moved due to corrosion concerns in the base. Bronze must be regularly cleaned and waxed to avoid corrosion if exhibited outside. The sculpture is cleaned with Orvice (a soap product) and water then bowling wax is applied. Early on it was recommended to not be buffed to “ensure a dull finish” (Letter 1964). As opposed to today, where we buff the statue after applying wax to ensure no accumulation of wax and to give the statue a shine. Watch the timelapse below to see the entire process. Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller will continue to steward the conservation of artifacts and natural resources like the Siene to ensure Laurance and the other figures who aided in conservation of this land legacy survives.
[1] Christie’s. "Lot 4935412: [Aristide Maillol (1861-1944)Baigneuse drapée (La Seine)]." Accessed November 13, 2024. https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-4935412
[2] Louvre Museum. "Winged Victory of Samothrace." Accessed November 13, 2024. https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010095704
[3] Musée Maillol. "Maillol and His Work." Accessed November 13, 2024. https://museemaillol.com/en/maillol-and-his-work/.
[4] Museum of Modern Art. "History." Accessed November 13, 2024. https://www.moma.org/about/mission-statement/history.
[5] Dalzell, Robert F., and Lee Baldwin Dalzell. The House the Rockefellers Built: A Tale of Money, Taste, and Power in Twentieth-Century America. New York: Henry Holt, 2007, 5.
[6] Land & Garden Preserve. "History of the Abby Rockefeller Garden." Accessed November 13, 2024. https://www.gardenpreserve.org/history-of-abby-rockefeller-garden.
[7] Dalzell, Robert F., and Lee Baldwin Dalzell. The House the Rockefellers Built: A Tale of Money, Taste, and Power in Twentieth-Century America. New York: Henry Holt, 2007, 217.
[8] Dalzell, Robert F., and Lee Baldwin Dalzell. The House the Rockefellers Built: A Tale of Money, Taste, and Power in Twentieth-Century America. New York: Henry Holt, 2007, 219.
[9] Dalzell, Robert F., and Lee Baldwin Dalzell. The House the Rockefellers Built: A Tale of Money, Taste, and Power in Twentieth-Century America. New York: Henry Holt, 2007, 81.
[2] Louvre Museum. "Winged Victory of Samothrace." Accessed November 13, 2024. https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010095704
[3] Musée Maillol. "Maillol and His Work." Accessed November 13, 2024. https://museemaillol.com/en/maillol-and-his-work/.
[4] Museum of Modern Art. "History." Accessed November 13, 2024. https://www.moma.org/about/mission-statement/history.
[5] Dalzell, Robert F., and Lee Baldwin Dalzell. The House the Rockefellers Built: A Tale of Money, Taste, and Power in Twentieth-Century America. New York: Henry Holt, 2007, 5.
[6] Land & Garden Preserve. "History of the Abby Rockefeller Garden." Accessed November 13, 2024. https://www.gardenpreserve.org/history-of-abby-rockefeller-garden.
[7] Dalzell, Robert F., and Lee Baldwin Dalzell. The House the Rockefellers Built: A Tale of Money, Taste, and Power in Twentieth-Century America. New York: Henry Holt, 2007, 217.
[8] Dalzell, Robert F., and Lee Baldwin Dalzell. The House the Rockefellers Built: A Tale of Money, Taste, and Power in Twentieth-Century America. New York: Henry Holt, 2007, 219.
[9] Dalzell, Robert F., and Lee Baldwin Dalzell. The House the Rockefellers Built: A Tale of Money, Taste, and Power in Twentieth-Century America. New York: Henry Holt, 2007, 81.
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Statue of the Siene in the Sha...
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Statue of the Siene in the Shadow: The History and Conservation of the Baigneuse Drapée Bronze in the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park Garden
Bronze Waxing Timelapse
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This is 26 second timelapse video of two high school aged interns and one park ranger waxing a bronze statue in an outdoor setting with large pine trees in the background. The statue is a life-sized bronze sculpture of a woman who is partially nude, wearing wavy garments. The video begins with an intern in a maroon shirt and baseball hat starting the video and walking towards the statue. The three begin rubbing wax at the statue's feet and work their way up the sculpture. Towards the end of the video they stand on a ladder to reach the statue's shoulders and head.
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Timelapse of 2024 George Perkins Marsh interns and an NPS Museum Technician waxing a bronze casting of Baigneuse drapée (La Seine), originally sculpted in 1921 by artist Aristide Joseph Bonaventure Maillol. The sculpture was purchased in Paris by Mary and Laurance Rockefeller. It is now located in the Formal Gardens at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park.