There’s so much to love at Bullock’s Wilshire, including the stunning Coco Chanel Room. Initially it housed ‘fine accessories’ and was known as La Chinoiserie, later becoming the famed Chanel Room guarded by her trademark bronze monkey’s. I was particularly smitten with the 4 delicate wall murals painted by George DeWinter. They’re so exquisite that I have to wonder if they’re ever been restored, or if they’re completely original.
Built in 1929, the Bullocks Wilshire Department Store was the premiere Art Deco shopping destination in Los Angeles until it was converted into the Southwestern Law School in 1994. The building is not open to the general public, however, once a year the building is open to the public for a special open house. And that, is when I made my entrance, scouring every corner of the building during the course of several hours. You’ll see several posts during the coming weeks from my tour. I regret that I couldn’t get this post published to celebrate Coco Chanel’s recent birthday on August 19th, but I’ve been in the throws of moving to a new residence… and we all know how daunting that can be.
This room is Stop #20 on the Self-Guided Tour, and is described as French Rococo Design. I have to take argument with that statement, as I think the room is actually French Neo-Classical Design. Everything about the room is so delicate, from the thin gold trimmed wall panels, to the very refined garlands above the mirrors. Rococo design is much heavier in overall appearance, with an emphasis on asymmetry and shell like curves. That said, Chinoiserie (Chinese-like) was popular during the Rococo era, so I can see why that association was made. Regardless, the Coco Chanel Room is what dreams are made of. Can you imagine your own walk-in closet with this sort of remarkable craftsmanship, it would be the epitome of refined elegance.
I have four similar Chinese artwork in pencil and pen by George DeWinter. I also have his US passport in 1908 when he went to study art in Europe along with is his death certificate. His original name was George W. Schneider but when he went to study art in Europe he changed his last name to an English last name to get away from the Nazi. The paintings was given to me with the provenance by his relative before she died. His brother was Carl W Schneider a commercial artist who painted the Indian Head of the Santa Fe Railways. I also have the original sketch of the Indian head with a letter commissioning his arts from Santa Fe executives as a provenance. If anybody is interested about the painting send me a message.
How exciting! Thank you for sharing this.
I picked up a painting by George De Winter this weekend at an estate sale in San Francisco and have found little information about him, other than a George De Winter was living with Marsden Hartley in November of 1920.
Your material interests me, but I’m a bit confused. The Nazis didn’t come to power in Germany until 1933.
The name on the 1908 passport is George W. Schneider but that on the death certificate is George De Winter?
Yes, according to his niece, Rosemary Cowart, also a local artist here in 29 Palms and also a member of the artist guild of america, George changed his last name to De Winter to be more English when he volunteered in the Red Cross during WW1 to avoid persecution. While serving the RC, he met lady who was a member of a royal family in Europe.They got married and had a daughter, took them to US and in 1922 they divorced. He went back to Europe and there he had an art galley. In 1971 he came back to the US and brought all his artwork, old picture frames and and other antiques. The four paintings that i have is looking like the paintings at the Schonbroum Palace in Viena, Austria at the China room. The 4 paintings at the Coco Channel room at Bullocks is of the same images and style of the paintings in Sconbroum Palace, please visit the site.