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An Account of the Battersby and Renard Trompe l’Oeil Paintings at Oak Spring
An Account of the Battersby and Renard Trompe lˇOeil Paintings at Oak Spring I
Fernand Renard (French, 1912–ca. 1980) Trompe l’Oeil in the Formal Greenhouse at Oak Spring
The living room at Oak Spring looking northwest; the Martin Battersby trompe l’oeil is inside the cabinet to the right of the bookcase, 1992, Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville, VA. Photograph by Michael Dunne.
The formal greenhouse at Oak Spring; the north wall of Fernand Renard’s trompe l’oeil is shown with cupboard door opened, 2019, Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville, VA.
Martin Battersby, Trompe l’Oeil in the Living Room at Oak Spring, detail of left lower shelf, ca. 1959, diluted oils on canvas mounted to wood, Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville, VA.
Martin Battersby, Trompe l’Oeil in the Living Room at Oak Spring, ca. 1959, diluted oils on canvas mounted to wood, Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville, VA. Cupboard with two doors each 37 3/8 × 15 1/8 in. (94.9 × 38.4 cm)
Left Door
upper shelf
Most of the space is taken up by an elegant box made of wood and decorated with landscape scenes sketched in black watercolor against a pale blue-gray background. The box is propped open by four books in fine leather bindings with stamped gold decoration, but with no indications as to their titles or authors. A blue satin ribbon tied in a bow dangles from the side of the box; suspended from it is a modern cameo, in a gold-colored setting, carved with the profile of an African woman wearing an earring. A sketch in ink of scrolls and other motifs is pinned to the wall behind the box by roundheaded, brass-colored thumbtacks (three along the top edge of the drawing are visible). Propped against the right wall is a book in an antique-looking leather binding with the words “Cardinal / Pirelli / Firbank” stamped in gold on its spine. This is a copy of the satirical novel Concerning the Eccentricities of Cardinal Pirelli by Ronald Firbank (1886–1926).
lower shelf
To the left is a book with a green binding and stamped gold decoration. Leaning against the back wall is a large book bound in brown leather and decorated in gold with a pattern of fleurs-de-lis and the monogram “mb” (the initials of Martin Battersby). In the foreground are a pearly nautilus shell (Nautilus pompilius), an hourglass with a small yellow butterfly resting on it (perhaps a cloudless sulphur, Phoebis sennae), and the shell of a small green turban sea snail (Turbo marmoratus). On the right are two tall, slender volumes, one bound in red leather, and the other in brown leather, both with raised bands and gold decoration.
middle shelf
Eight books in fine leather, vellum, or cloth bindings are arranged on the shelf. Four are stacked on top of each other, but only one can be identified. The second book from the bottom contains four slips of white cardboard serving as bookmarks, while the fourth volume lies on its side with its spine turned toward the viewer and the words “Ariosto / Orlando Furioso / Venetia 1630” clearly visible; this is a copy of the famous epic romance by Ludovico Ariosto (1474–1533). A tall narrow volume with a green leather and marbled paper binding rests against the back wall. Leaning against it are two books—one is propped open to its title page, War and Peace, the famous novel by Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910), while the other is a volume in an antique-looking leather binding with gold decoration and the words “Trompe / l’oeil / by / Martin / Battersby” stamped in gold on its spine. The top part of a small book bound in black leather can be glimpsed behind an engraving of an obelisk that is fixed to the top and bottom edges of the shelf by roundheaded, brass-colored drawing pins. The long, narrow engraving had evidently been kept folded, accordion-style, and its top left corner is also slightly bent. The obelisk stands on a sculpted base and is embellished with four medallions bearing the portrait heads of four men, shown in profile and framed by wreaths. Two stems of wheat, one of which is broken, dangle over the edge of the shelf.
Right Door
upper shelf
Resting on a napkin with a paisley and floral pattern in blue are a cluster of large purple grapes (Vitis vinifera) with a Madagascan sunset moth (Chrysiridia rhipheus) and an imposing marbled green turban shell (Turbo marmoratus). Leaning against the right side of the shelf are two books. The first, bound in dark brown leather, bears the title “The Young Visitors” [sic] stamped in gold capital letters on its spine; this was a novella published by Daisy Ashford (1881–1972) in 1919. The second volume is bound in white leather, possibly vellum, with four raised bands and the words “Ovid / Venetia / 1632” written in red ink on its spine. This is a copy of the magnum opus Metamorphoses by the Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso, known as Ovid in the English-speaking world (43 bce–17/18 ce).
lower shelf
On the left is a book bound in brown leather with raised bands, gold decoration, and the words “Vathek” and “Horace Walpole” stamped in gold on its spine, apparently a published edition of two Gothic novels—Vathek, an Arabian Tale by William Beckford (1760–1844) and The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole (1717–1797). In the center is a large bound manuscript, standing upright and open to a title page that reads: “Painting…In Ancient Times when Painting first began. A Pen, or Chalk, thus imitated Man…” This is a manuscript copy
middle shelf
A book stands upright on the shelf, open to its title page: Candid: Or, All for the Best By M de Voltaire. Dublin Con. This is probably a rare English edition of Candide, ou l’Optimisme by Voltaire (the nom de plume of François-Marie Arouet, 1694–1778). Voltaire published his famous novella in 1759 and translations of the work, including this one, appeared in quick succession. Behind the book, a drawing on blue paper of a winged female figure is propped at a casual angle against the back wall of the shelf. In front of it is a footed silver cup with a beautiful striated magenta and white carnation (Dianthus sp.). of Rays of Genius, collected to enlighten the rising generation, which was published in London in 1806 by the English calligrapher Thomas Tomkins (1743–1816). Sitting in front of the manuscript and propping it open is a pearly nautilus shell (Nautilus pompilius). In the foreground is a stuffed white dove (Columbidae) on a wooden stand. On the right is a volume bound in dark green leather with a single bookmark, five raised bands, and “Poems / Donne” stamped in gold on its spine. It is most likely a copy of the Complete Poetry and Selected Prose of the great poet John Donne (1572–1631), published by the Nonesuch Press (London) in 1929, which was donated by Paul Mellon to the Yale Center for British Art.
Fernand Renard, Trompe l’Oeil in the Formal Greenhouse at Oak Spring, south wall, 1959–60, diluted oils on canvas mounted to wood, Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville, VA.
102 1/2 × 42 7/8 in. (260.4 cm × 108.9 cm) South Wall—to the left of the glass doors opening to the arbor
upper shelf
A wicker basket containing onions (Allium cepa) and some sprigs of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare); a white ceramic bowl with a brown rim.
middle shelf
Three sprigs of Persian cumin (Carum carvi) tied together with a piece of raffia, hanging from the top of the shelf by a nail; cluster of hazelnut involucres with a husked hazelnut nearby (Corylus avellana); a two-tined spading fork; a wicker basket with one handle containing peaches with some leaves (Prunus persica).
lower shelf
A sprig of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis); an oblong wooden fruit basket with the initials “df” painted in faded lettering; ceramic pitcher (possibly redware) with a French flag and some sprigs of dried fennel (Foeniculum vulgare). To the right of the glass doors opening to the arbor
upper shelf
A watering can with its handle missing; three pears (Pyrus communis cv. Abate Fetel), one to the left and two to the right.
middle shelf
A heap of leather straps for tying plants; an oldfashioned double hoe made of cast iron, without its handle; a pair of wood and leather bellows with the initials “gc vP”; a large dibber; a spading fork with four tines; a long hoe; some seeds (two large ones) on a piece of white paper and other seeds scattered on the shelf.
lower shelf
At the back of the shelf, a round open-weave gathering basket. In the foreground, two footed glasses, one of which holds a red dahlia (Dahlia sp.), and a large off-white colored crock containing a stick.
Fernand Renard, Trompe l’Oeil in the Formal Greenhouse at Oak Spring, west wall, 1959–60, diluted oils on canvas mounted to wood, Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville, VA.
West Wall—to the left of the glass doors opening into the west greenhouse
upper shelf
A ball of string; a small scythe; a dibber (perhaps made from a small animal’s horn); standing upright, a round basket sieve with a wooden frame marked with the number “3”; behind it, a wicker basket containing a gardening implement of which only the handle can be seen, and a smaller ball of string.
middle shelf / left cupboard door
A pair of long-handled pruning shears hanging from a hook; a three-tined spading fork and a hoe with two tines; a wooden harvest basket filled with strawberries (Fragaria vesca); a celery plant with its roots (Apium graveolens).
lower shelf / left cupboard door
A small lemon from which a wedge has been cut (Citrus limon); a small head of cabbage (Brassica oleracea, cultivar not identifiable); a wooden spool of green wire; a small glazed earthenware bowl with a rim.
middle shelf / right cupboard door
A bundle of leeks (Allium porrum) bound with willow ties; a small trowel with traces of blue paint; a spading fork with two tines; seven seeds; a pyramid-shaped glass bottle with two cornflower stems (Centaurea cyanus), each bearing a blossom and two buds.
lower shelf / right cupboard door
A copy of The Garden Journal of the New York Botanical Garden (vol. 8, no. 2); a metal basket; and two rings designed by Jean “Johnny” Schlumberger (1907–1987) hanging from a loop of raffia.
inside the right cupboard door
A small framed drawing of a polypetal red carnation (Dianthus sp.) in a glass.
102 1/2 × 163 3/8 in. (260.4 cm × 415 cm)
Above the glass doors opening into the west greenhouse
upper shelf
A basket beehive; a large watering can; a terra-cotta pot decorated with an incised pattern and frilled edging made of clay encircling the rim, base, and center; a spading fork with five tines; a wicker basket; and a long, curled piece of manila paper. In the foreground, three lobed tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum cv. ‘Ribbed’). To the right of the glass doors opening into the west greenhouse
upper shelf
An open-weave wicker basket with a handle, containing two peaches (Prunus persica); a terra-cotta pot holding two implements of which only the handles are visible (perhaps gardening tools); and a large wicker basket containing a three-tined spading fork, a small hoe, and three bamboo plant stakes.
middle shelf / left cupboard door
A bundle of garlic heads (Allium sativum) hanging from the top right-hand corner of the shelf; a bear paw clam shell (Hippopus hippopus) filled with blackberries (Rubus fruticosus); a head of celery (Apium graveolens); a leek (Allium porrum); two bundles of asparagus (two different cultivars of Asparagus officinalis), one bound with willow ties and the other with brown string; a single cherry with its stalk (Prunus cerasus) casting a faint shadow to the far right.
lower shelf / left cupboard door
An artichoke (Cynara scolymus) that has been cut in half; a tomato (Solanum lycopersicum); a small orange-colored citrus fruit (not identifiable); a head of cabbage, of which only the leaves can be seen (Brassica oleracea, cultivar not identifiable); four small berries (not identifiable).
middle shelf / right cupboard door
A string stretched across the width of the shelf near the top, presumably held by two nails (only one nail can be seen). Against the back wall, a two-handled wicker basket hangs on a nail; beneath it, a pair of metal pruning shears and a bunch of radishes (Raphanus sativus) lean against the wall. A cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is propped against the right wall; to the left, a decorated beige metal box with a handle is filled with black cherries (Prunus cerasus); lying on the shelf in the foreground are three cherries, a radish, and a yellow citrus fruit, perhaps a large lemon (Citrus limon).
lower shelf / right cupboard door
A head of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea cv. Botrytis) with its leaves; an ornamental striped zucchini (Cucurbita sp.); a small lobed eggplant (Solanum melongena); and a shallot with its stem (Allium cepa cv. Ascalonicum). 118
Fernand Renard, Trompe l’Oeil in the Formal Greenhouse at Oak Spring, detail from middle shelf on right cupboard door at far right, west wall, 1959–60, diluted oils on canvas mounted to wood, Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville, VA.
Fernand Renard, Trompe l’Oeil in the Formal Greenhouse at Oak Spring, north wall, 1959–60, diluted oils on canvas mounted to wood, Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville, VA.
Unlike the other three walls of the vestibule, there is no passage through the north wall and it is therefore entirely decorated with trompe l’oeil paintings. The two central cupboard doors are actually a pair of folding doors that conceal a working counter with a sink.
102 1/2 × 152 1/4 in. (260.4 cm × 386.7 cm) North Wall—Far left
upper shelf
Porcelain tureen in the form of a pumpkin; a tall open-weave wicker basket with one small handle.
middle shelf / cupboard door
A bundle of small white turnips (Brassica rapa, one of many cultivars) hanging from the top right-hand corner of the shelf; a glazed gray pitcher with eleven bamboo canes (Phyllostachys sp.), serving as plant stakes, and two plant identification stakes; a small white fluted porcelain bowl containing different cultivars of beans (dried); three small beans lying on the shelf; a red cabbage (Brassica oleracea); and a small ornamental yellow squash (Cucurbita pepo) with a warty exocarp.
lower shelf / cupboard door
A colorful collection of seashells. In the back, Nautilus macromphalus, a branch of red coral, Turbo sarmaticus, and Conus betulinus. In the foreground, Conus marmoreus (marbled cone), a starfish, Pomacea canaliculata(golden apple snail), Clanculus pharaonius, Terebra guttata, Conus ebraeus, an unidentifiable gastropod, Mitra mitra, and a Cypraea species.
wall to the right of the cupboard door
A sheet of paper with sketches by Jean Schlumberger of an ornamental garden urn containing various flowers, a flower head (perhaps from the family Asteraceae), and a Centaurea species (a thistlelike flowering plant from the family Asteraceae). Below, a beetle painted en trompe-l’oeil. Center, above the folding cupboard doors
upper shelf
Hanging from the top of the shelf is a basket made of light-colored wood with a handle of darker wood encircling the curved base of the basket; a piece of white string dangles over the edge; also suspended (upside down) from the top shelf is a blue tulip with its bulb (Tulipa sp., perhaps the famous cv. Semper Augustus). Sitting on the shelf: an upended wicker basket with two handles; an apple (Malus sp.); a sieve with a wooden frame; a wicker basket holding two bamboo plant stakes; a small woven fish trap with a note on blue paper tied to it with red ribbon; a rectangular wicker basket containing pieces of broken terra-cotta and two bamboo plant stakes (one is colored green); a lemon (Citrus limon); and a traditional wine flask with a woven straw base.
Center, folding cupboard doors
middle shelf / left folding door
Long strands of raffia (Raphia ruffia) hanging from two nails in a festoon; a peacock butterfly (Aglais io) against the back wall; a spade; a sieve with a wooden frame; a large wicker basket filled with white and brown eggs, and at the top a polished stone egg (probably malachite); in the foreground a small wooden box with two compartments; a green and white striped mug with a variegated red and white carnation (Dianthus sp.); two eggs; three tiny berries; two rose hips; two small onion sets; and a head of garlic.
lower shelf / left folding door
A dibber with a metal tip; an apple (Malus domestica); a hazelnut (Corylus avellana); a pyramid of yellow apples (Malus domestica) with two pears (Pyrus communis) at the top of the pile; two blackberries (Rubus fruticosus); a peach (Prunus persica); a wooden pitcher; and a traditional surveyor’s tool useful for laying out a garden with two blue handles.
lower register / left
Below the set of shelves, a base painted a pale bluegreen and decorated with a pattern of bamboo latticework with a sheaf of wheat framed by two concentric circles in the center.
middle shelf / right folding door
An open-weave wicker basket hanging from a hook in the upper left corner; a harvest basket with four artichokes (Cynara scolymus); a large splint and wicker basket with a handle, containing an implement (only the handle can be seen) and several stems of an unidentifiable vegetable or plant; a Nantucket basket; and in the foreground a fennel bulb (Foeniculum vulgare) and the stem of the same unidentifiable vegetable contained in the basket.
lower shelf / right folding door
Some small berries (possibly blueberries, Vaccinium myrtillus, but not identifiable with any certainty), a sprig with yellowish fruits (not identifiable), and various seeds scattered on the shelf; a head of red cabbage (Brassica oleracea, unidentifiable cultivar) from which a wedge has been cut; a small pair of gardening shears with wooden handles; a hedgehog chestnut (Castanea sativa); a pear (Pyrus communis); a ball of string; a curious three-branched object, clearly botanical in nature, possibly a hypogean rhizome, but unfortunately not identifiable; a terra-cotta pot with a dead plant; the shell of a small green turban sea snail (Turbo marmoratus).
lower register / right
Below the set of shelves, as on the lower register of the left folding doors, a base painted a pale bluegreen and decorated with a pattern of bamboo latticework with a sheaf of wheat framed by two concentric circles in the center. Far right
upper shelf
Three small onions (Allium cepa) tied together with string and hanging from a nail in the upper left corner; a harvest basket and three shallots with long stems (Allium cepa cv. Ascalonicum) resting on the shelf.
middle shelf / cupboard door
Two color engravings from Le jardin fruitier (Paris, 1821) by Louis Claude Noisette (1772–1849) are attached to the back wall of the shelf; one (whose bottom edge is curled upward) is fixed by two small nails and illustrates gardening tools, while the other (which had once been folded down the middle) is attached by two roundheaded brasscolored thumbtacks and shows grafting tools and techniques. On the shelf: a nested stack of four terra-cotta pots with two wooden plant tags with wire in the topmost pot; two downy-white lobed objects, probably from a plant but unidentifiable; one small elderberry beneath the tail of the bird statuette and an infructescence of elderberry (Sambucus nigra); a peach (Prunus persica); a starfish (possibly Astropecten sp.); the statuette of a bird made of papier-mâché; a white porcelain pitcher containing some parsley (Petroselinum hortense) and a leafy branch (not identifiable) with small dark-colored fruits at the base of its leaves; at the foot of the pitcher a small, round, golden fruit (not identifiable).
lower shelf / cupboard door
Small wooden bucket bound with metal hoops and filled with wooden plant stakes; terra-cotta pot containing a bamboo plant stake and three wooden cooking implements (spoon, fork, and spatula); four mushrooms (Psalliota bispora); and three dark-colored berries (not identifiable). 122
at the base, in the right-hand corner A signature and date: “Renard 1959–1960.”
inside the folding doors / left
Burberry raincoat used by Bunny Mellon as a gardening coat.
inside the folding doors / right
Mrs. Mellon’s blue gardening apron; a pitchfork with “Unity” painted on its wooden handle.
on the wall above the counter
A red geranium (Pelargonium zonale) in a small beige earthenware pitcher, a white tea towel with a strawberry pattern in blue along its borders, hanging from a coat hook; and a colored engraving from Phytographia curiosa, exhibens arborum, fruticum, herbarum & florum icones (Amsterdam, 1713) by Abraham Munting (1626–1683) illustrating a plant with blue flowers (possibly a chokeberry, Aronia arbutifolia), with two brass-colored tacks in its top corners. In the foreground Renard has added a shovel and a scroll that reads “Ex Libris Bunny Mellon 1960.”
Fernand Renard, Trompe l’Oeil in the Formal Greenhouse at Oak Spring, details of Renard signature and cupboard interior, north wall, 1959–60, diluted oils on canvas mounted to wood, Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville, VA.
Fernand Renard, Trompe l’Oeil in the Formal Greenhouse at Oak Spring, east wall, 1959–60, diluted oils on canvas mounted to wood, Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville, VA.
East Wall—to the left of the glass doors opening into the east greenhouse
upper shelf
Redware pitcher with a sprig of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare); glazed white clay pitcher; small demijohn with a wicker cover; small black pitcher with an artichoke flower (Cynara scolymus); large terra-cotta pot.
middle shelf / left cupboard door
Drawing of the greenhouse with a ground plan, prepared by Cross & Son Architects and dated November 19, 1957; a copy of Les beaux fruits de France (Paris, 1947) by Georges Delbard (1906–1999); an immature lemon (Citrus limon); a small stone obelisk (perhaps made of porphyry); a copy of Kate Greenaway’s Birthday Book for Children (London, 1880); Le raisin, ses espèces et variétés, dessinées et colorées d’après nature (Stuttgart, 1799–1810), a rare book in two folio volumes of red leather by Johann Simon Kerner (1755–1830); a manuscript bound in green leather, “Stirpium imagines lxxv quas ex horto patavino delineavit et vivis coloribus ad naturam” by Baldassare Cattrani (fl. 1776–1810).
lower shelf / left cupboard door
Wicker basket containing some letters and postmarked envelopes, a white kerchief with a paisley pattern in red and blue, a pencil, and a small cardboard box with “…ns Hedges” printed in blue Gothic lettering and the word “Mouthpiece” handwritten in block letters; two letters lie on the shelf, together with a peach (Prunus persica) and a small glass rabbit
middle shelf / right cupboard door
Tall metal vase decorated with two dark green bands, for cut flowers; large blue mug with black stripes and a white handle containing a narcissus (Narcissus poeticus) and two blue asters (Asteraceae); a wicker basket containing a small curved handsaw, a leather strap, and two polished wooden shafts that could be the handles to a gardening tool; a sycamore twig with its seed pod (Platanus occidentalis).
lower shelf / right cupboard door
A powder compact designed by Jean Schlumberger; a twig with leaves and berries from a wild service tree (Sorbus torminalis); small cottage in porcelain whose decoration includes an espalier against one wall; wooden bowl containing grapes (Vitis vinifera, cv. not identifiable) with a small dark berry and a grape lying on the shelf beside it.
on the wall to the right of the cupboard
A sheet of paper tacked to the wall with a poem in Paul Mellon’s handwriting: “PAesop’s FABLES (The Fox & The Rabbit).”
102 1/2 × 163 3/8 in. (260.4 cm × 415 cm)
Above the glass doors opening into the east greenhouse
upper shelf
Large demijohn with wicker cover; a pear (Pyrus communis); a muskmelon (Cucumis melo); a small terra-cotta pot containing some parsley (Petroselinum hortense) and chives (Allium schoenoprasum); a broken terra-cotta pot with two implements of which only the handles are visible; a small red metal basin; a large watering can. To the right of the glass doors opening into the east greenhouse
upper shelf
White and yellow pottery pitcher, possibly Italian or Portuguese, with two green-tinted bamboo stakes and a plant identification stake; an orange with its leaves (Citrus sp.); a dark green bottle with a cork; a terra-cotta flower pot; a small metal milk can speckled with red paint; a large wicker basket with a handle.
middle shelf / left cupboard door
Hanging from a nail against the back wall, a pair of small pruning shears with blue handles; a bundle of white, black, and brown feathers tied together, hanging from the top of the shelf; a large wicker basket with yellow and blue plums (Prunus domestica, different cultivars); a commercial packet of cornflower seeds (Centaurea ‘Barbeau Bluet’); a footed glass with a leafy stem of Pelargonium zonale; a fruiting head from the sweet gum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua); a peach (Prunus persica).
lower shelf / left cupboard door
A small pair of pruning shears hanging from a nail; a hammer; four U-shaped nails; five red currants (Ribes rubrum); a walnut (Juglans regia); a wicker ball; behind the wicker ball, what appears to be a small tan fruit or nut, but not identifiable.
middle shelf / right cupboard door
Three branches of plums, tied together and hanging from a string (Prunus domestica, two different cultivars); blue denim hat; a red poppy petal; an Old World swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon); and a redware pitcher containing two red poppies (Papaver sp., but not the common red poppy Papaver rhoeas), a feather, and several stems of a cereal (not wheat or barley, but perhaps a species of foxtail grass, Alopecurus sp.)
lower shelf / right cupboard door
A copy of Le jardin fruitier(Paris, 1821) by Louis Claude Noisette, in three volumes with a white bookmark in the uppermost volume and a white leather gardening glove.
Fernand Renard, Trompe l’Oeil in the Formal Greenhouse at Oak Spring, detail of east wall to the right of the glass doors, 1959–60, diluted oils on canvas mounted to wood, Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville, VA.
