Ask any Fort Worth native about famous local artists and it won’t take long before they mention The Brothers Gentling. If they don't know the name, they probably know of their most famous work in the city: the ceiling mural on the dome of Bass Hall.
Twins Stuart and Scott Gentling moved to Fort Worth at the age of 5 and showed a masterful understanding of art almost immediately. One of their most notable contributions is a collection of bird paintings called Of Birds and Texas. This 46-pound folio was inspired by John James Audubon’s Birds of America, which consisted of over 400 hand-colored illustrations of the birds in the United States in the early 1800s.
Both brothers have passed away — Stuart in 2006 and Scott in 2011. Their Fort Worth home has sat vacant for a number of years and now will be listed for sale. Before that happens, an estate sale will take place at the property, from November 9-11.
The Gentling homestead is located at 4928 Bryce Ave., on the west side of Fort Worth. Hours for the sale will be 10 am-4 pm November 9-10, and 12 pm-4 pm November 11.
Shoppers should come ready for some incredible finds, including many original and print works of art.
Featured at the sale are “drawers and drawers of Gentling prints, a handful folios of Of Birds and Texas, antique furniture, Oriental rugs, etchings, musical instruments, reproduction flint-lock rifles and pistols, and a print of President George W. Bush that the Gentlings painted of the 43rd President of the United States,” says Terri Ellis of Mistletoe Estate Sales, which is conducting the sale.
Music fans will take note of plaster life masks of Mozart and Beethoven, as well as a cello and two violins by Ceruti and Klost. For American history buffs, there's a framed bronze head of George Washington from the 19th century on offer.
As for the main house, you would never know how elaborate it is from the exterior. The 4,239-square-foot home appears to be a single-story cottage of cedar-shake and a quaint front porch.
But there's a surprise.
The twins added an entire “party wing” to the home after they took ownership. You can tell where the home went from pier-and-beam to a concrete foundation — and opens to a tremendous ballroom.
Those who knew them say the Gentlings built the beautiful ballroom, complete with stage and balcony, and would hold parties and art shows until the wee hours of the dawn.
And the brothers not only painted professionally but also painted many walls and ceilings of their personal residence.
Hopefully, future owners will be able to salvage the front of the home — kitchen is tiny, bedroom configuration is quite confusing — in order to keep the magnificent ballroom and the open interior courtyard.
Talia Lydick of Williams Trew Real Estate will soon list 4928 Bryce Ave. The price has not been set as the property is so unique, so interested parties will need to contact the agent for a private showing. But maybe they can sneak a peek when they shop the estate sale.
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A version of this story originally was published on CandysDirt.com.
Artwork from the Gentlings' estate will be for sale November 9-11.
