Find the Spirit of the Lost Generation in the Renwick Hotel’s Gertrude Stein Suite

Author: Christopher Durso       

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In her time, Gertrude Stein was a high-profile writer and patron of the arts, known for writ-ing enigmatic lines like “Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose,” and for coining the term the Lost Generation to describe people who came of age during World War I. But today she’s probably most famous for the Paris salon she hosted in the years after the war, attracting Modernist luminaries like Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Henri Matisse.

Stein suite stencil and entry

The Renwick Hotel in New York City has sought to recapture her spirit with the 10th-floor Gertrude Stein Suite — the latest in a series of rooms celebrating writers who spent time at the Midtown Manhattan property, including Fitzgerald, John Steinbeck, and Thomas Mann. Stein’s suite features a variety of nods to her life and work, including a shelf of her novels, vintage French milk bottles, a recreation of Picasso’s portrait of Stein, and an infinite loop of “Rose is a rose” rendered on one wall.

rose and side table“Our objective with the Gertrude Stein Suite was to stay true to the hotel’s design sensibility and rich history, while paying homage to Stein, whose literary talent and passion for the arts continues to inspire and influence today,” said Kim Edwards, senior designer for Stonehill & Taylor, who coordinated the design. “The suite’s artwork and strategic accessories speak to the life of Stein in Paris, as well as her works and the salon nights she hosted for progressive artists.”

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