Sure, iconic fine art collections are usually associated with Europe or New York City. But did you know Washington has a surprising amount of classic French art? Especially works by the renowned 19th-century French sculptor Auguste Rodin.

You’ll find it at the Maryhill Museum of Art in Goldendale, Washington. Yes, that Goldendale with the Stonehenge replica. It’s all part of Gilded Age businessman Sam Hill’s empire, which includes the historic mansion on Capitol Hill. But his former estate-turned-museum, Maryhill, is the crown jewel, sitting high on a bluff with a 180-degree view of the Columbia River.

Views aside, it’s worth the three-and-a-half-hour drive from Seattle for the 100-plus Rodin works, including two famous plaster maquettes. There are three dozen figures and busts, eight bronze casts, 20 plaster works, eight terra cotta figures, 21 fragments and nearly two dozen watercolors. It’s a lot. Even more impressive: The plaster maquettes of “The Thinker” and “The Hand of God” are signed in pencil by the artist Loïe Fuller, one of Rodin’s friends.

These aren’t the OG, but if you can’t swing a flight to Europe this summer, these replicas housed inside a stunning, Beaux-Arts-style mansion (and surrounded by several wineries) will give you an illusion of Europe. And one thing Maryhill has that those big European attractions don’t: A lock of Queen Victoria’s hair. Yes, really.

But how did all of this fine French art wind up in Klickitat County? Seattle Refined recently chatted with Maryhill’s Curator of Art, Steve Grafe, about what makes the museum such a gem in the PNW.

Seattle Refined: Why is Maryhill such a special art museum?

Curator Steve Grafe: Maryhill is special because of its odd history, its eclectic collection and its incomparable location in the Pacific Northwest landscape. The uniqueness of the history and collection stems from the impact of the museum’s four founders: Seattle entrepreneur Sam Hill, modern dance pioneer Loïe Fuller, Queen Marie of Romania, and San Francisco philanthropist Alma de Bretteville Spreckels.

Why is it worth the trip for Seattleites this summer?

During 2025, about 45 works from the museum’s painting collections are on display. These are very seldom shown, and the exhibition covers about 350 years of European and American art.

What are some of the most impressive works on display at Maryhill?

The work that is most popular with our visitors is “Solitude” by Frederic, 1st Baron Leighton of Stretton (British, 1830–1896). We have eight baskets on display that were created by Elizabeth Hickox (Wiyot/Karuk, c. 1872-1947), one of the two or three most celebrated Indigenous basket-makers of the 20th century. As a group, Maryhill’s “Théâtre de la Mode” mannequins are profoundly important. These 170-plus miniature mannequins were created in 1946 to support war relief efforts by Paris’ couture houses. They represent the missing link between wartime fashions and Christian Dior’s “New Look,” and the collection contains work by 52 couturiers representing a single season (spring/summer 1946).

What artists would we be surprised to find at Maryhill that you’d typically see in larger city museums?

Maryhill has a large collection of Indigenous art—both historic and contemporary—that comes from throughout North America. We have about a dozen Art Nouveau-era glass works by Émile Gallé (French, 1846-1904), made by the master himself and not by his workshop. These are currently displayed in the “Field Notes: Artists Observe Nature” exhibition at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma until December.

We have extensive collections of Balkan folk dress—Romanian and Macedonian—and what is arguably the largest collection of American Classical Realist paintings (the “Boston School”) in the United States. It will be featured in a 2026 exhibition.

How did Maryhill acquire so much Rodin work?

Loïe Fuller was a friend of Rodin and sought to promote his work in the United States. Alma de Bretteville Spreckels and Sam Hill were among the people to whom his work was sold.

Alma’s collection is now at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco.

Hill’s collection came to Maryhill, along with Loïe’s personal collection. She used it as collateral on a loan that they could not pay off, and that is how it came into Hill’s possession.

What are some of the most famous Rodin works that people in the PNW can see at Maryhill rather than travel to Europe to see?

The two [signed] maquettes are of paramount importance. Maryhill has a life-size plaster of “Eve” from “The Gates of Hell,” a plaster study for Jeane de Fiennes—one of the figures from “The Burghers of Calais” (not currently on view), and a large plaster version of “Christ and the Magdalene.” Noteworthy bronzes include “Je Suis Belle,” “Danaid,” and “The Age of Bronze.”

And what about other famous artists typically found in larger museums?

The Indigenous art that is on permanent display may be seen at any time, as can three of our nine “Théâtre de la Mode” sets. The Balkan textiles appear every few years in temporary exhibitions, as do works from the painting collection. We have a large collection of gold-plated furniture from Romanian royal palaces on permanent display.

How much time do you recommend at Maryhill, if you want to see all the famous European art pieces?

The museum can be seen in a minimum of two hours. If one reads a majority of the labels and visits the outdoor sculpture garden, it may take four hours or more. My top ten things for this year:

1. “Capturing Light: 350 Years of European and American Painting” exhibition (through November 15)

2. The three “Théâtre de la Mode” décors that are on display: Georges Wakhévitch’s “Place des Vosges,” Jean Cocteau’s “Hommage à René Clair: Ma Femme est une Scorcière” (My Wife is a Witch), and Jean Saint-Martin’s “Croquis de Paris” (Paris Sketch)

3. The Columbia River Plateau basketry exhibit in the Indigenous Peoples Gallery

4. The “Native California” display in the Indigenous Peoples Gallery

5. The International chess set collection (about 100 sets are on display from a total of 400 sets)

6. The small display case with jewelry from Queen Marie of Romania. This includes a bracelet woven with Queen Victoria’s hair (Queen Marie’s paternal grandmother)

7. The display of Russian and Greek icons

8. The outdoor sculpture park with large contemporary works by Pacific Northwest artists

9. The Columbia River overlooks, which are southeast and southwest of the building

10. The Stonehenge War Memorial—a replica of the Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain, built by Sam Hill as the first World War I memorial in the United States. It is a museum property that is located about four miles east of the museum itself.

Learn more about Maryhill Museum of Art here.

Deanne Revel is a freelance journalist for Seattle Refined.

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