Huntington Library

The Huntington Art Gallery in San Marino recently underwent a two-year, $20-million restoration. The onetime home of Henry and Arabella Huntington now displays 1,200 artworks. A grand staircase leads from the main hallway of the gallery’s first floor, now a sequence of period rooms. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Sept. 16, 2014 9:10 AM PT

“Diana, Viscountess Crosbie,’ by Joshua Reynolds at left and “Jonathan Buttall: The Blue Boy” by Thomas Gainsborough are seen in the Thornton Portrait Gallery at the Huntington Art Gallery. A $20-million renovation of the Henry Huntington 1911 home opens to the public May 28, 2008. The gallery was closed for more than two years. In addition to the thoroughly updated infrastructure, the refurbished mansion includes 5,300 additional square feet of public space, new interpretive components and new gallery presentations of approximately 1,200 objects of European art. (Detail of full image shown in thumbnail.The Blue Boy, Master Jonathan Buttall is cropped out.)

The Huntington Art Gallery’s oak-paneled library was built to house 18th century Beauvais tapestries. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of George Washington hangs in the Georgian-style dining room. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

A two-story staircase was enlarged to accommodate a 15-foot-tall neo-Gothic stained glass window that was produced by Morris & Co. The work is called “Humility, Mercy, Generosity, Charity, Justice, Liberty, Truth, Love, Faith, Courage.” (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

The Thornton Portrait Gallery, which was closed during the two-year renovation, may be the best-known room in the mansion. Thomas Gainsborough’s “The Blue Boy” and Thomas Lawrence’s “Pinkie” are among the portraits displayed there. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

“Diana, Viscountess Crosbie,” left, and “Jonathan Buttall: The Blue Boy” in the Thornton Portrait Gallery. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

The bronze statue “Diana Huntress” looms over the second floor of the Huntington Art Gallery’s east wing. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

The gallery’s second floor features an extensive silver collection. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

A second-floor gallery features furniture and British porcelain. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

The Huntington Art Gallery’s second floor has 22 themed galleries. Religious works are prominent in this one. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

The Huntington mansion -- here, facing the front facade -- was designed by Myron Hunt, the architect for the Ambassador Hotel and Occidental College. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)