DMA Insight
The Reves Gift to the DMA
In 1985 Wendy Reves organized the gift of her late husband's collection to the Dallas Museum of Art to honor his memory. Featuring over 1,400 European artworks and decorative objects, including works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas, and Camille Pissarro, the Reves Collection is one of the highlights of the Dallas Museum of Art. This significant addition transformed the Museum's collection of late 19th- and 20th-century European art and European decorative art.
The Reves Gallery is housed in a 16,500-square-foot wing made specifically for the collection. Each room is a faithful reproduction of its counterpart at La Pausa, capturing both the design and the mood of original owner Coco Chanel's and Wendy and Emery Reveses' home. Furthermore, the paintings, books, and furniture are displayed in the Reves’ wing as they were in La Pausa.
Visitors to this gallery are given a true glimpse into Chanel's life, as most of the furniture was owned and used by her during her time at the villa. Emery Reves' exquisite art holdings accentuate Chanel's furniture and overall design, and together they form a striking history, a priceless collection, and a remarkable home.
Excerpt from
DMA unpublished material.