Her life was defined by a distinctive sense of style, ranging from homes decorated with a signature mix of the haute and humble to smocks by couturiers Cristóbal Balenciaga and Hubert de Givenchy that she wore while tending her gardens.
A Curator of the Eccentric
With husband Paul, she pursued masterworks of art with museum-curator-like acumen (and indeed, much of their collection eventually would be bequeathed to The National Gallery and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts). However, in her own homes, a painting by Pierre Bonnard might be destined for a back staircase rather than a place of prominence. And that she would hang a prized acquisition alongside a child’s drawing or above a sofa with just the right amount of tatter illustrates Mrs. Mellon’s desire to surround herself with things that delighted and spoke to her regardless of provenance or perfection, although she certainly had those in abundance.
Curiosity could strike Mrs. Mellon in the most surprising places, even in a doctor’s office where she once admired a painting. Upon inquiring about the artist, she discovered it was the work of Alison “Snowy” Campbell, the physician’s daughter. Shortly after, Mrs. Mellon commissioned the young artist to be her personal painter and to document the rooms and objects in her houses in watercolor, a monumental project that would take Snowy six years.
“I remember that time as magical and will always treasure our relationship. You taught me about so much more than painting, about life and art and natural beauty and style, really about the choices one makes in creating their true ‘lifestyle.’”
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—SNOWY CAMPBELL IN A LETTER TO MRS. MELLON DATED JULY 31, 2010
A Final Portfolio
Now, posthumously for both women, those paintings appear in a new book, The Enchanting Interiors of Bunny Mellon. It is—as billed—a captivating glimpse into the rarefied, decorative lives the Mellons lived within houses in New York City; Washington, D.C.; and Upperville, Virginia. It’s also a charming and enduring portfolio of a talented artist who had the most discerning of patrons. By Maria Mancini | Images excerpted from The Enchanting Interiors of Bunny Mellon: Paintings by Snowy Campbell by The Oak Spring Garden Foundations, Rizzoli, 2026; Images © The Family of Alison Campbell Swain
In the 1970s, Bunny Mellon enlisted artist Snowy Campbell to paint watercolors of rooms and objects in her houses. The paintings have come to light in a new book, The Enchanting Interiors of Bunny Mellon, published by Rizzoli. Buy the book and enjoy more beautiful interiors!
