Home"Some of the Finest Paintings Ever in America"

"Some of the Finest Paintings Ever in America"


Jan Brueghel the Elder, The Entry of the Animals into Noah's Ark, 1613. Photo Credit: J. Paul Getty Museum

In April of 1816, Rosalie Stier Calvert exhibited the 63 European masterworks brought to America by her  father, Henri Joseph Stier. A direct descendant of Peter Paul Rubens, Stier held arguably the largest and finest art collection seen in America at the time. For two weeks, visitors flocked to Riversdale to view the country’s first blockbuster art exhibit. We invite you to step back into 1816 and join us for the opening of this exhibition, highlighting 16 high-quality reproductions displayed throughout the house.

In partnership with the Michelle Smith Collaboratory for Visual Culture at the University of Maryland, Department of Art History and Archaeology, Riversdale is proud to bring you closer to the works and enhance your  experience. Download the mobile application, Aurasma, from the iTunes or Google Play store prior to your visit & enjoy the site in a whole new way.

This project has been financed in part with State Funds from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, an instrumentality of the State of Maryland. 

Additional support provided by:
Aman Memorial Trust
Eugene B. Roberts, Jr. & Lynn Roberts
Frame Savvy
French Wallop
Maryland Milestones/ATHA, Inc.
Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission
Michelle Smith Collaboratory for Visual Culture, University of Maryland, College Park
Prince George’s County Cultural & Historical Trust
Prince George’s County Historical Society
Prince George’s Heritage, Inc.
Riversdale Historical Society