Van Gogh Alive and Antler Hill Village (11/17/2021)

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

When we discovered that Biltmore Estate had a different version of an immersive Van Gogh digital art show, we upgraded our ticket to include it. (The Candlelight Christmas ticket included both the evening house tour and a full day on the grounds either the day of or the day after the candlelight tour. We used the full day portion on the day after.)

Biltmore Estate entrance gate

Amherst, the event center at the Deerpark section
 of Biltmore Estate, was the location for Van Gogh Alive

This exhibit offered explanations of many of the
van Gogh paintings we would see (KSS)

A 3-D rendering of van Gogh's bedroom at Arles

Van Gogh Alive projected hundreds of paintings,
following a chronology from the Netherlands to Paris
to Arles to Saint Rémy to Auvers-sur-Oise;
here we have Tulpenfelder/Tulip Fields (1883)

Van Gogh Alive is the winner in the number of paintings and drawings shown.

This van Gogh experience was shown on
separated panels in differing sizes,
including three panels on the floor

There was fading from one picture to another,
and like Cleveland, there were several fade-to-black
episodes that were also seen in Cleveland

The floor panels often showed corresponding real life photos,
Amandier en fleurs/Almond Blossoms (1890)

A video showing the occasional moving parts of the paintings/drawings (Wheat Field with Sheaves and Arles in the Background, 1888):

Emphasis on the period of influence by Japanese prints:
Bridge in the Rain (afterAndō Hiroshige) (1887) and
Sudden Shower over Shin-Ōhashi bridge and Atake (1857)

van Gogh Irises

A video of van Gogh self-portraits with more creative morphing:

Sunflower mirror room

We meant to head to the Biltmore House and Gardens next, but the two-way road turned into a one-way the wrong way. We were shunted toward Antler Hill Village on the Biltmore Estate.

French Broad River ran through the original 125,000 acres
of the Biltmore Estate that now has 8,000 acres

The Lagoon with Branta canadensis/Canada Geese

Meleagris gallopavo/Wild Turkeys

Antler Hill Village was originally the farming center of Biltmore Estate.

Many breeds of chickens, and yesterday they collected 73 eggs

The semi hexagonal Antler Hill Barn complex

The Main Barn is inside the hexagon 

Four sides of the hexagon are open storage areas

Lots of vintage farming equipment

Normally there are craft demonstrations
at the barn, but today there was only a
wool spinner and a loom weaver

Inside the woodworking shop

Stickwork at Antler Hill Village: Free as a Bird (2021,
by Patrick and Sam Dougherty)

Free as a Bird detail

Sculpture (2010, by Vadim Bora) of
Cornelia Vanderbilt and the St Bernard, Cedric

Camellia sp and Polistes sp/Paper Wasp

Vintage Biltmore Estate Piaggio Ape
three-wheeled Vespa mini-truck (KSS)

The Biltmore Legacy Exhibit displayed
artifacts of George and Edith Vanderbilt,
including this mermaid dress (c 1922)

George's souvenirs from Japan: Jumonji-yari
and Naginata: ceremonial weapons

Antler Hill Winery Tasting entrance

Behind the former Biltmore Dairy Barn complex,
now the Antler Hill Winery

Main Dairy Barn Clock Tower (1901)

$14 Ham and [Muenster] Cheese Sandwich from
the Village Hotel Kitchen Café

Antler Hill Village of shops, restaurants, and hotel,
with the Inn on Biltmore Estate up on the hill

Vintage Biltmore Estate milk truck is now a food truck

Yes, we sampled ice cream from the Creamery in Antler Hill Village!

Next: Biltmore House and Gardens.