Peter Beckford was the biggest sugar plantation owner in Jamaica in the early 18th century. At the time of his death in 1735 he was said to be in possession of the largest property real and personal of any man or woman in Europe.

Beckford’s grandson William Beckford lived between 1760 and 1844. By the time he inherited the estate it had grown substantially and so he was the wealthiest man in England – a fortune built on the back of hundreds of Jamaican slaves.

William Beckford used his fortune to collect art and to live like the ultimate hedonist, making him one of the most famous (and eventually notorious) men in England. He was highly educated learned in French, Latin, Greek, Itealian, Spanish, Portugese, philosophy, law, literature and physics, all by age 17.  His piano teacher was a man named Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

In 1795 he began abuilding Fonthill Abbey in Wiltshire, a Gothic monstrosity with a tower 300 feet high. 500 labors worked day and night. The first tower, badly designed, collapsed upon completion. So did the second, built six years later. The third tower was finished seven years later and the entire building was finished in 1813. His kitchens prepared food for 12 everyday although he always dined alone and sent the other meals away afterwards. Only once did he have houseguests when Admiral Horatio Nelson and Lady Hamilton visited.

A great part of his fortune went to the building of the Abbey which he was forced to sell in 1823 for $5 million. Although in middle years onward he kept a harem of young men to entertain and be entertained. He had been married. His wife died at childbirth leaving him his only child Susan Euphemia who married Alexander, 10thDuke of Hamilton. A descendant, a few generations afterwards was Prince Rainier of Monaco.

The booth (above, left) of the JGM Galerie (29, rue du Temple, Paris) had some beautiful pieces including a bronze alligator settee by Claude Lalanne. Many NYSD readers (along with DPC and JH) first saw Claude Lalanne’s work in the Paris apartment of Count and Countess Hubert D’Ornano last September when we were covering the Biennale Antiquaire. On another wall was a work by Rob Wynne. This artist’s work was first seen to some NYSD readers last year when we photographed a bedroom of the house of our hostess (last year and this), Beth DeWoody (above, right).

Above, left: A copy of the famous official portrait of Queen Marie-Antoinette of France and her children, painted for Louis-Philippe, the last reigning King of France (1830-1848) at the booth of Steinitz of Paris.

Above, right: Then over at the special exhibition of the history of French style and decoration in the 18th century, there is another official portrait of the ill-fated queen by Elisabeth Vigee-LeBrun completed in 1788, one year before the Revolution and imprisonment of the King and Queen.

Although she lived in a time when women were not regarded seriously in the arts, Vigee-LeBrun was considered one of the most important portraitists. Her commissions covered the royal houses of Europe, as well as Catherine the Great (at whose deathbed she was present) and Madame DuBarry at Marly after the death of Louis XV.  Over ten feet high, the portrait is considered the artist’s masterpiece and one of the finest 18th century royal portraits. It is on loan to the exhibition at the Fair from the New Orleans Museum of Art.

Coincidentally, there lives in Palm Beach and Southampton, a woman named LeBrun Rhinelander McKnight, (Brunie to her many friends). She is the fourth or fifth generation of first born women in her family to bear that name, directly handed down from the portraitist.

The Graff diamonds are nothing short of stupendous to these astounded eyes. I asked Henri Barguirdjian, who heads Graff USA to show us one of his pink diamonds. A ring. In the eight figures. I asked him to show us another piece in that price range: the diamond necklace. The Graff windows on Madison Avenue are one of the most popular pedestrian stops. You stop to look just to be amazed at the size and the beauty. And the message.

Jewels, precious gems are an important part of this Palm Beach Fair. I remember the first time I heard about the Fair several years ago, before I visited, people were talking about the fabulous jewels for sale. On our tour we passed by Moussieff Jewelers who had an amazing pink diamond in one of its cases. The price: in the millions. Jewels, big jewels are a hot item these days. A couple of cases over was a very fancy diamond and emerald necklace with one very large emerald. Very grand, watch-out-world-here-I-come (and I ain’t kidding).  It once belonged to Mrs. Irving Berlin whose husband’s first big hit song was “Always,” (“I’ll be loving you, Always”), said to have been written for her.

There was also an emerald and diamond brooch (above, right) which once belonged to Queen Margherita of Savoy-Genoa (1851-1926). One thing you often hear about at these very high end art and antique fairs is: The Prices.  The prices, the prices, have you seen the prices….? They ask each other over cocktails. But then they come along a day or three later and write out a check for five, six million for an item, picture, a piece of furniture, a necklace.  The Russians are often mentioned as the “buyers” in the same way the Arab sheiks were twenty-five years ago. One salesperson told me that Moscow now has more billionaires than New York, and when they shop the world’s their favorite mall.