Physical Description green room
The Green Room is located in the upper north-east corner on the second level of Casa Carlucci. It connects to the stairhall twice on the wWest wall, and once with the Pink Room on the sSouth wall. The room is has a rectangular shape, and it’s three entrances emphasize focal points from each location. From every entrance tow the interior space, the large glass chandelier in the center of the room is the focal point. When entering the Green Room from the Pink Room, the far wall featuring the five panel painting of the passion narrative of Jesus Christ, and additional paintings above, are the focal points
The main flooring of the Green Room is a cherry hardwood that runs in an ashlar fashion following the width of the room. There is a border of the same hardwood that intersects at the four corners of the room. These intersections create diagonal lines which create a set of polygonal shapes. On top of the hardwood is a large multi-green rug that covers 80% of the floor and has a thick dark green border. The rest of the rug is divided into equally sized squares which alternate patterns in a chessboard fashion. One of these squares is a plain light green square surrounded by a white border. The other square has a bouquet of pink flowers on top of a white square which is surrounded by a light green border. Between these squares is a trim of the same dark green as the overall border with a design of stems, leaves and flowers. The flowers at the corners of the individual squares are white and the flowers at the center of the sides of the squares are pink. The stems and leaves are both dark green and light green and they run between the flowers. The leaves always point in the direction of the closest white flower.
There are four walls in the Green Room. All of the walls have the same soft, pastel green paint hue that is overlapped by white plaster moldings. These moldings follow Baroque and Early Neoclassical ordering systems and geometric forms, and feature Graeco-Roman motifs. The ornamental plasterwork is reminiscent of Robert Adam’s designs for Osterley Park and the restrained French approach evident in the Petit Trianon.
The base of each wall has a nine inch tall solid white base molding. Each wall is divided into two main sections by a white plaster chair rail. The chair rail is about three feet high, making the lower section about one fourth the height of the wall and the upper section three fourths the height of the wall. Below the chair rail are applied rectangular-shaped moldings that give the illusion of paneled boiseries. The upper section of the wall or the wall field, has the same rectangular-shaped molding forming a panel between the chair rail and the picture rail. Each wall is accented with a thick white crown molding.
The western wall has two doorways equidistant from the center of the wall. They feature wooden French doors that are paneled and painted . Above each doorway is a classical entablature with prominent classical cornice. The center of the wall is plain with the rectangular panel moldings that the other walls have. Ambassador Glass displays part of his art collection here as well as the wall sections on the opposite sides of the doorways. The northern wall has no openings. The wall holds another part of the Ambassador Glass’s art collection.
The eastern wall has two large windows that are directly across from the western doors and are roughly the same size as the doors as well, just slightly taller. The molding above these windows matches the top half of the moldings above the doorways on the western wall. These windows are made of wood casings that have been painted white and they open up from the middle like doors. There are locks at the top and bottom of the windows and a handle one third of the way up from the floor. Both windows have light green curtains that are held back by large tassels. These tassels are also hung in swags at the top of the curtains.These windows flank the white marble fireplace that is in the center of the wall. The molded mantle lays on top of a carved frieze, featuring guilloche motifs, which is surrounded by carved jambs. The insert is made of iron and the hearth is made of a black marble that is surrounded by a gold trim. Above the fireplace is a rectangular ‘Giltwood Overmantel Mirror’ from the nineteenth century.
The southern wall has one doorway in the very center of the wall and it is slightly larger than the two doors on the western wall. This French door is made of white wood with glass window inserts which look into the Pink Room. The molding above the door is the same as that of the other doors, just wider so that it covers the whole door. Around the door is the same molding as the other walls as well.
In front of the fireplace on the eastern wall is a seating area that consists of two sofas, a rectangular coffee table, two wooden, oval end tables, and two sofa tables behind each sofa. There is a Steinway piano in the center of the northern wall that is flanked by two square wooden end tables that are both topped by lamps. In front of the western wall is another seating area consisting of a sofa and two arm chairs with a round coffee table. On either side of the sofa is a commode. The southern wall has two larger commodes flanking the doorway. The room displays a number of significant furniture pieces as noted below.
Regency Style Mahogany Sofa – This sofa is located in the seating area along the western wall. Originally from Sorrento, Italy, this sofa has a light, pastel green fabric that wraps along the back and singular cushion. The legs are in a cabriole shape that ends with a metal foot. The toprail is carved with cornucopia and ribbon tied festoons which continue down the arms. The arms are curved out and have the same green fabric as the rest of the sofa.
Walnut Commodes – Two matching walnut commodes flank the Regency sofa on the western wall. The legs have a gentle cabriole shape and are made of walnut, just as the rest of each piece is. Each commode has two equally-sized drawers that have two gilded metal pulls and a lock in the center. Wooden tops are protected by a dark glass that gives the illusion of black marble. These pieces are replicas from the Newport Historic Collection
Portuguese Rosewood Card Table – This table is located behind the sofa on the left of the fireplace on the eastern wall and was created in the 18th century. The whole piece is made of rosewood and has square tapering legs. The top folds over, as it is a card table, and the interior is covered in a baize fabric. The detail on the top of the table starts with an oblong oval in the center which is surrounded by a chevron pattern of rosewood. There is also a border that has a thin rectangle being entangled by a ribbon of wood. The side panels of the table have swags of leaves that are bound by bouquets of flowers
Japanese Black Lacquered Table – This table is located behind the sofa on the right side of the fireplace and was created in the 19th century. The overall piece is wood that has been painted with a black lacquer. This lacquer is overlaid with golden Chinese motifs, making it a form of Chinoiserie. The table has two frieze drawers that each have a gilded metal handle. The legs of the table have a pad foot with a tapered leg
Rosewood and Mahogany Commodes – There are two matching commodes flanking the doorway on the southern wall. They are made of rosewood and have mahogany insets on the drawers. The legs are also made of mahogany and they have a saber shape. The body of each piece is divided by three drawers of equal size. Each drawer has two gilded metal handles that are separated by a gilded metal lock in the center. Each piece is topped with a grey marble
The art collection in the Green Room is owned by the current Ambassador of Lisbon, George Glass, and his wife Mary Glass. The collection is comprised of sacred art that they have collected while in Europe, and before. Many of the pieces feature the Madonna and baby Jesus, but other religious works can be seen in this room. The north wall, features five oil paintings on the upper section of the wall. The paintings on both the left and right sides depict religious scenes, and the remaining three in the middle depict the Madonna with baby Jesus and St. Joseph with baby Jesus. Sacred art paintings that feature only St. Joseph and baby Jesus are quite uncommon, and this painting is important to the current Ambassador and his wife due to this reason. Beneath these five paintings is a large five-panel oil painting depicting the passion narrative with Jesus’ crucifixion on the cross in the center, the two criminals to his sides, and two bystanders of the scene. The paintings on the East and West walls feature additional sacred art oil paintings depicting religious scenes of Jesus as a baby and young boy, and as he grew up. Pic shows an image of a sculpture of Jesus, positioned on a table behind the sofa of the Green Room. Next to the sculpture are two white and blue ceramic pieces that display Portuguese ships to signify the maritime power of Portugal’s history
The ceiling of the Green Room in Casa Carlucci is painted a soft, pastel green color and features white painted plaster moldings applied with Classical Baroque and Early Neoclassical geometric ordering systems and Greco-Roman motifs in ornamental plasterwork. The perimeter of the room is bordered with floret and leaf-like rinceau shapes. Moving towards the center of the ceiling, an oval-shaped molding, set within the rectangular border, features a ceiling medallion with floret and leaf-like rinceau shapes. Pic show an overall image and details of the ceiling ornamentation. The central ceiling medallion serves as a backdrop, from which a spectacular twenty-four branch crystal chandelier is suspended. This chandelier features cascades of bells and sconces, with green and white glass overlays, that can be seen . It is constructed of Murano glass, from the island Murano in Venice, Italy.
State Department, “Secretary of State’s Register of Culturally Significant Property”, Office of Cultural Heritage, Washington DC. Accessed April, 2020.
