Weekend Reflections - Philbrook Art Museum

The Philbrook Art Museum and Gardens is one of Tulsa's treasures.  Philbrook is an Italian Renaissance villa built in 1927 to be the home of oilman Waite Phillips.  In 1938 Phillips surprised Tulsans with the announcement of his gift of the 72-room mansion and surrounding 23 acres of grounds as an art center for the city of Tulsa. The original mansion remains intact as space for Philbrook's extensive collection of American and European paintings. The facility has expanded on the north side to provide additional exhibit space, a gift shop, an auditorium, class rooms and administrative offices. 

Last Wednesday I spent several hours wandering through the gardens and took a large number of photographs, too many to post at one time. Today is a brief introduction, and a promise to share more as the summer continues. I hope you will enjoy them.

The 23 acres around and behind the museum are beautifully landscaped.  The area directly behind the mansion is laid out in a formal Italian renassiance style.  The lower level surrounds a reflecting pond landscaped in a manner reminecent of Monet's garden. 

The pond is well stocked with large Koi.  When the visitor steps to the edge of the water the fish often swarm over hoping to be fed.

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