August Belmont and Isabel Perry

The Prussian Jewish banker August Belmont (left) was a noted sportsman, arts patron, and diplomat. He arrived in New York City as an agent of the Rothschild banking family during the economic crisis known as the Panic of 1837. Within a decade, he was one of New York’s wealthiest men. After serving as Austria’s consul general to the United States (1844–50), Belmont held diplomatic posts in the Netherlands (1853–57), returning home with a large art collection.