Shell museum

The Bamboo cocktail lounge

Portrait of Frederic painted by Evelyn (1934)

An 85 key Steinway

Veiled woman by Giovanni Battista Lombardi

Wandering round Bonnet House, looking at the mostly sub-par art on the walls, you’d be hard pressed to guess this was the winter retreat of the man that once owned two dozen and one modern masters, including Picasso’s “The Old Guitarist”, Van Gogh’s “Bedroom” and Seurat’s masterpiece, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte”.

That’s because the works you’ll see were mostly painted by Evelyn Fortune Lilly, the third wife of Frederic Clay Bartlett. Both were competent artists, but arguably neither was very accomplished. I suspect the caretakers agree because there’s plenty on display but it’s rarely acknowledged. The focus of the tour is rightfully on their living experience, of which the art on the walls is just one layer of whimsical decor that includes a shell museum, bamboo bar, and an entire menagerie of animals that appear to have escaped from a carnival carousel.

The high ceilings, covered walkways and manicured inner courtyard gardens have a distinct old-timey Florida feel. Think Bogey and Bacall in Key Largo, only without the gangsters. Construction began in the 1920s and except for the Wi-Fi, the estate exists today pretty much as it did throughout the 60-odd years the Bartletts used it as a winter retreat.

The home and artist studios are surrounded by 35 acres of swamp, palms, strangler figs and mangrove hammocks. They’ll shield you from the hot Florida sun, but other than the roar of the ocean you’re unlikely to encounter much of anything else. It remains incredibly secluded. South Florida locals accustomed to zero lot lines and sky-high condos will be especially amazed at the archival imagery showing Bonnett House when it was the only entity along Fort Lauderdale Beach.

The $25 adult entry fee feels a bit steep for what little you’ll actually see, but the fact that this was a modest artist’s retreat and not Vizcaya is a large part of the appeal. I suspect it would be a lot more fun and atmospheric to attend a private evening event or wedding, after which you can ask the newlyweds about their overnight stay in the upstairs air-conditioned suite which is off-limits to the public.

As for those masterpieces that Bartlett collected? They now reside in the Art Institute of Chicago, donated in memory of Bartlett’s 2nd wife, with whom he collected the majority of the works. It’s one of the many fascinating side stories that adds to the charm of this relic of a world gone by.