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拍品專文
For over 100 years, Lorinda “Linda” Payson de Roulet’s family has exemplified American patronage and philanthropy. Her mother, Joan Whitney Payson, assembled one of the most legendary art collections of twentieth century, her name now indelibly intertwined with some of the country’s leading art institutions.
Together with her brother, John “Jock” Hay Whitney, Joan Whitney Payson grew up in their family’s opulent Fifth Avenue mansion surrounded by artistic treasures. Their financier father, one of the richest men in America, Payne Whitney, was a philanthropist and collector and the siblings were immersed in art from a young age, so much so that Joan was given a Degas – Enfants et poneys dans un parc – for her eighteenth birthday.
In 1924, Joan married Charles Shipman Payson. Over the decades that followed, they amassed an extraordinary collection of art, including masterpieces spanning Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, early Modernism, as well as Old Masters and American art, which rotated among their homes in Manhattan, Long Island, Saratoga, Kentucky, and Hobe Sound.
Together, the Paysons had five children: two sons, Daniel and John, and three daughters, Sandra, Payne, and Lorinda. Daniel, their eldest son was tragically killed at age 18 while serving in Europe in the Second World War.
The passions of Joan Whitney Payson were varied and far-reaching, stretching beyond the world of art. She dedicated much of her energy to philanthropy. She served as a director of the boards of New York Hospital and the North Shore Hospital, Manhasset. With her brother, she inherited her family’s Greentree racing stable in Lexington, Kentucky, remaining devoted to the pursuit of horse racing for the rest of her life, and she invested in films and Broadway plays. “Joan Whitney wanted to follow her heart’s desire, whether in collecting art, breeding race horses, financing hospitals and galleries, doting on her four children and eleven grandchildren,” a Vogue article in 1970 described.
Perhaps most famously, in 1962, she co-founded the New York Mets, becoming the first woman to own and operate her own major American sports team. As her New York Times obituary described, “She was a familiar figure sitting in the front box to the right of the Mets dugout wearing a floppy hat or a blue and orange baseball cap. She became the team’s cheerleader and patron. When she traveled, she often went in regal trappings in her personal Pullman car, accompanied by two or three dachshunds, and she made certain that the Mets’ insignia had been sewn on almost everything in sight.”
After Joan Whitney Payson’s death in 1975, her daughter, Lorinda Payson de Roulet, took over as President and later Chairwoman of the Mets. Mrs. de Roulet inherited her mother’s tenacity, love of art, and deep sense of duty, in addition to stewarding her family’s art collection in service of philanthropy. In 1951, she married Vincent de Roulet, US ambassador to Jamaica (1969-1973), and together they went on to have three children.
Mrs. de Roulet’s civic commitment broadened as her public profile evolved. Like her mother before her, she served North Shore University Hospital (formerly known as North Shore Hospital) in leadership roles and expanded her belief in public service to other cultural and educational broads, where she could be meaningfully engaged rather than merely present. She founded the Patrina Foundation, directing resources to education and social services for women and girls, and she was drawn instinctively to institutions and activities that fostered community, from hospitals, schools, and museums to baseball.
The bond between mother and daughter extended beyond their philanthropy and renowned art collections to an exceptional wardrobe of jewels that represented some of the finest creations of their time. Across generations, they collected and wore jewels that reflected the spirit and style of the eras to which they belonged. The bold geometry and vibrant color of Art Deco, most notable in the Tiffany & Co. ring set with a stunning 6.01-carat Colombian emerald, defined Joan’s time, while the elegant mid-century designs of the collection captured Linda’s.
Together, these pieces offer a rare glimpse into a thoughtfully curated collection, embodying the Payson/de Roulet women’s individual tastes while presenting a refined dialogue between the two generations, bound by an enduring legacy of collecting.
Together with her brother, John “Jock” Hay Whitney, Joan Whitney Payson grew up in their family’s opulent Fifth Avenue mansion surrounded by artistic treasures. Their financier father, one of the richest men in America, Payne Whitney, was a philanthropist and collector and the siblings were immersed in art from a young age, so much so that Joan was given a Degas – Enfants et poneys dans un parc – for her eighteenth birthday.
In 1924, Joan married Charles Shipman Payson. Over the decades that followed, they amassed an extraordinary collection of art, including masterpieces spanning Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, early Modernism, as well as Old Masters and American art, which rotated among their homes in Manhattan, Long Island, Saratoga, Kentucky, and Hobe Sound.
Together, the Paysons had five children: two sons, Daniel and John, and three daughters, Sandra, Payne, and Lorinda. Daniel, their eldest son was tragically killed at age 18 while serving in Europe in the Second World War.
The passions of Joan Whitney Payson were varied and far-reaching, stretching beyond the world of art. She dedicated much of her energy to philanthropy. She served as a director of the boards of New York Hospital and the North Shore Hospital, Manhasset. With her brother, she inherited her family’s Greentree racing stable in Lexington, Kentucky, remaining devoted to the pursuit of horse racing for the rest of her life, and she invested in films and Broadway plays. “Joan Whitney wanted to follow her heart’s desire, whether in collecting art, breeding race horses, financing hospitals and galleries, doting on her four children and eleven grandchildren,” a Vogue article in 1970 described.
Perhaps most famously, in 1962, she co-founded the New York Mets, becoming the first woman to own and operate her own major American sports team. As her New York Times obituary described, “She was a familiar figure sitting in the front box to the right of the Mets dugout wearing a floppy hat or a blue and orange baseball cap. She became the team’s cheerleader and patron. When she traveled, she often went in regal trappings in her personal Pullman car, accompanied by two or three dachshunds, and she made certain that the Mets’ insignia had been sewn on almost everything in sight.”
After Joan Whitney Payson’s death in 1975, her daughter, Lorinda Payson de Roulet, took over as President and later Chairwoman of the Mets. Mrs. de Roulet inherited her mother’s tenacity, love of art, and deep sense of duty, in addition to stewarding her family’s art collection in service of philanthropy. In 1951, she married Vincent de Roulet, US ambassador to Jamaica (1969-1973), and together they went on to have three children.
Mrs. de Roulet’s civic commitment broadened as her public profile evolved. Like her mother before her, she served North Shore University Hospital (formerly known as North Shore Hospital) in leadership roles and expanded her belief in public service to other cultural and educational broads, where she could be meaningfully engaged rather than merely present. She founded the Patrina Foundation, directing resources to education and social services for women and girls, and she was drawn instinctively to institutions and activities that fostered community, from hospitals, schools, and museums to baseball.
The bond between mother and daughter extended beyond their philanthropy and renowned art collections to an exceptional wardrobe of jewels that represented some of the finest creations of their time. Across generations, they collected and wore jewels that reflected the spirit and style of the eras to which they belonged. The bold geometry and vibrant color of Art Deco, most notable in the Tiffany & Co. ring set with a stunning 6.01-carat Colombian emerald, defined Joan’s time, while the elegant mid-century designs of the collection captured Linda’s.
Together, these pieces offer a rare glimpse into a thoughtfully curated collection, embodying the Payson/de Roulet women’s individual tastes while presenting a refined dialogue between the two generations, bound by an enduring legacy of collecting.