During our spring planning for this trip, with thanks to Roadtrippers, we scheduled a stop at the historic home of George Morris and Suzy Frelinghuysen in Lenox, Massachusetts. We had no knowledge of their artwork, or specific reason to visit other than we were passing by and had the time. The place looked interesting and is only open for the summer.

Much to our surprise and delight, we had stumbled across two “Park Avenue Cubists”—two of the four major figures at the forefront of American abstract art. Both George and Suzy were from old, prominent families: They shared elite social status, considerable wealth and talent, and a commitment to Cubist painting.

Suzy Frelinghuysen was born in 1911 to a wealthy family in New Jersey.  She studied voice, piano, organ, and harp as well as painting in Princeton, NJ. In addition to being a painter, Suzy was also a dramatic soprano who performed with the New York City Opera from 1947 to 1951.

George L.K. Morris was born in 1905 to a wealthy New England family whose ancestry dates back to a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He graduated from Yale with a degree in Art and Literature and studied in France from 1929-1930 where he met Fernand Léger, Georges Braque, Pablo Picasso, and Constantin Brancusi. While in France he took classes with Ozenfant Amédée and Fernand Léger.

In 1931 George built his studio on a portion of his parent’s property in Lenox, Massachusetts.

Suzy and George were introduced to one another on a blind date set up by mutual friends in 1934. They married in 1935.

In 1941 John Butler Swann, a local architect, designed a home for George and Suzy that connected to the existing studio. Swann designed a two-story stucco and glass block house.  Cost overruns necessitated the sale of one of George’s Picasso paintings to pay for its completion.

Not only is the house fascinating, but so is the integration of their art collection (Picasso, Gris, Braque, Miro, Degas and Matisse), as well as their own artwork, into the design.

The Bauhaus/Southwestern-inspired design, with lots of glass and light, highlights building details and the integration of art and the outdoors as viewed from all perspectives.

The main feature of the lobby is the circular staircase and mural by George. See the photo of George and Suzy at the beginning of this post. When first constructed, there was no railing. After moving into the house, the couple immediately recognized the need for a stair rail. George then designed the railing to complement the mural.

This visit aligned with, and beautifully bookended, our visit in early June to the Berthe Weill Exhibit in Montreal. It turns out that George and Suzy had known, studied with, and collected many of the same artists that Ms. Weill had represented at her gallery. We are now on a mission to identify and locate George and Suzy’s artwork when we visit museums across the country. What a fun and entertaining exercise!

We hope that our photos convey—at least in part—just how special the Frelinghuysen Morris House and Studio are. If you decide to visit in person, remember it’s only open seasonally during the summer.

Following this incredibly serendipitous stop, we were off to visit the FDR Presidential Library and Museum.