Henry Vasnier
Encyclopedia
Henry Vasnier was a famous art collector, partner and wine merchant.
At his death, his collection of works and objets d'art (including works by Corot
) were bequeathed to the Museum of Fine Arts at Reims
. The Museum today possesses some major pieces of glass that once belonged to Vasnier, and there is a Boulevard Henry Vasnier in Reims named for him.
His temperament made him a libertine
: he built a brothel and saloon called California near the village of Craonne
in Picardy
. He also built a zoo and a botanical garden
of exotic plants, and planted vines on the hillsides in order to enlarge the vineyards at Pommery
.
At his death, his collection of works and objets d'art (including works by Corot
Corot
Corot may refer to:* Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, French landscape painter * COROT, a space mission with the dual aims of finding extrasolar planets and performing asteroseismology* COROT-7, a dwarf star in the Monoceros constellation...
) were bequeathed to the Museum of Fine Arts at Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
. The Museum today possesses some major pieces of glass that once belonged to Vasnier, and there is a Boulevard Henry Vasnier in Reims named for him.
His temperament made him a libertine
Libertine
A libertine is one devoid of most moral restraints, which are seen as unnecessary or undesirable, especially one who ignores or even spurns accepted morals and forms of behavior sanctified by the larger society. Libertines, also known as rakes, placed value on physical pleasures, meaning those...
: he built a brothel and saloon called California near the village of Craonne
Craonne
Craonne is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-History:It was the site of the Napoleonic Battle of Craonne in 1814. The former town was totally destroyed by artillery in World War I and is now an arboretum; today's town was rebuilt in the 1920s.-References:*...
in Picardy
Picardy
This article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France...
. He also built a zoo and a botanical garden
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
of exotic plants, and planted vines on the hillsides in order to enlarge the vineyards at Pommery
Pommery
Champagne Pommery is a French Champagne house located in Reims. The house was founded as Pommery & Greno in 1858 by Alexandre Louis Pommery and Narcisse Greno with the primary business being wool trading. Under the guidance of Alexandre's widow, Louise Pommery, the firm was dedicated to Champagne...
.