Rough Point, in Newport, Rhode Island, was one of Doris Duke’s several very private retreats, and offers a wonderful glimpse into the Gilded Age that prevailed in Newport in the late 19th century. There are plenty of sprawling, elegant “summer cottages” built by the Vanderbilts and Astors in Newport, but this is a particularly precious example of a delightfully opulent period in our history.

If you’re in Newport, Rhode Island for a great New England getaway, taking a walk along the Cliff Walk is an absolute must. It will take you down a path over towering cliffs and wind between some of the world’s largest and most beautiful mansions on one side and the ocean on the other, but Rough Point stands out for its wonderful furniture and art collections. .

Frederick W. Vanderbilt built this massive English stately home in 1889 on some of the finest real estate on the East Coast. It’s on a windswept promontory whose rocky shoreline juts out into the Atlantic. The views of both the ocean and the house are stunning.

James B. Duke, who made two fortunes, one in electrical power and one in tobacco, was the benefactor of Duke University. He purchased Rough Point in 1922, but died in 1925 after bequeathing much of his and Rough Point’s enormous financial empire to his daughter Doris, an only twelve-year-old girl.

Doris lived here periodically throughout her life. But instead of living extravagantly, blissfully unaware of the needs of others, she became an enormously generous philanthropist. At just 21 years old, she established Independent Aid, which became the Doris Duke Foundation. She throughout her life supported medical research and was an advocate for child welfare. By some estimates, she donated as much as $400 million to worthy causes, often anonymously.

Rough Point contains the Duke family’s extensive collections of European fine and decorative arts, including works by Renoir, Bol, Gainsborough, and Reynold; collections that took seven decades to build.

In addition, there are collections of oriental porcelain, tapestries and textiles. Doris Duke herself, an active conservator and conservator, also collected Islamic and Southeast Asian art and fine furniture, many examples of which can be found at Rough Point.

During the 1960s, Mrs. Duke recognized the need to preserve Newport’s dilapidated 18th-century architecture, which was rapidly disappearing, as it was in many of America’s oldest cities. In 1968, she established the Foundation of Newport Restoration (NRF).

While her father collected for their homes, Doris Duke studied so she could make informed decisions and let her curiosity guide her into areas of collecting that were sometimes out of fashion at the time.

Featured in the exhibition, at Rough Point, are examples of masterpieces from his Newport collections, heirloom pieces, and Eastern and Western art collections. Three green family The jars represent a wide variety of Chinese porcelains.

One of a pair of ivory and silver tables made in 18th-century Russia is an exotic piece, even in these collections, and probably came from Catherine the Great’s palace. A silver saddle made in California for her second husband is a wonderful example of what were known as parade saddles owned by every cowboy in Hollywood.

Touring Rough Point will give you the opportunity to soak up history, share in the splendor of Duke’s various collections, and get a taste of the Gilded Age in one of America’s oldest and finest cities and one of New England’s great museums.

To learn more about New England museums, visit: newenglandtimes.com.