[Vid] First-Of-Its-Kind Princess Natalie Paley Exhibit Now at Hillwood
The newest exhibition at Hillwood is all about Princess Natalie Paley, Czar Nicholas II of Russia’s first cousin.
From Exile to Avant-Garde explores the glamour and enigma of one of the more intriguing figures of the 20th century.
Offered in Hillwood’s Adirondack Building, From Exile to Avant-Garde came about, because in 2022, Hillwood acquired some 335 new pieces that once belonged to the Paley and Romanov families. These materials have helped craft this first-of-its-kind exploration into Princess Natalie Paley’s life and legacy.
Visitors will love learning the fascinating family history — from her parents’ exile from Russia due to a forbidden love affair, to their eventual pardon and return… which led to the tragic execution of her father and brother by the Bolsheviks. Visitors will also see objects from the Romanovs, including imperial portraits. Hillwood maintains the largest assemblage of Romanov and Paley material outside Russia.
Organized into seven sections, the exhibition begins with this focus on Paley and her family’s life in Gilded Age Paris as well as their connections to the Romanov dynasty before shifting to Natalie herself — a fashion icon, model, and tastemaker with an influential role on the arts and fashion, both in France and in America.
Go see this for three major reasons: Natalie Paley is iconic; Hillwood curator Megan Martinelli has done a phenomenal job bringing all of the museum’s large collection of Paley and Romanov items together in an insightful way that underscores Paley’s legacy of elegance — and the exhibition continues into the house, which is unusual and interesting. And Marjorie Merriweather Post’s lifelong collection of Russian treasures is amplified by the latest acquisition, which means those interested in the Paleys/Romanovs really have no better venue than Hillwood — and this exhibition — to discover more about this fascinating family.
From Exile to Avant-Garde will remain on view at Hillwood through January 4, 2026.