The Wallace Collection

13/09/2021

This Wednesday is #AskACurator day! Do you have any questions for our curators? From paintings and porcelain to arms and armour, we’ve got you covered.

So, if there’s anything you’re yearning to know, let us know by replying in the comments.

Image: Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725-1805), Head of a Boy, c.1780

This Wednesday is #AskACurator day! Do you have any questions for our curators? From paintings and porcelain to arms and armour, we’ve got you covered.

So, if there’s anything you’re yearning to know, let us know by replying in the comments.

Image: Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725-1805), Head of a Boy, c.1780

12/09/2021

The early nineteenth century was a period of great artistic achievement in Iran. In 1797, the second Qajar king Fath-’Ali Shah inherited from his uncle a vast empire and he was keen to legitimise the rule of his dynasty. He sponsored a wide-ranging artistic programme with a clear visual style, both cosmopolitan and drawing from local traditions.

This detailed rifle barrel, made in 1846 or 1847 by Hajj Ahmad for a certain Mu’ammar, retains the dense arabesques in gold overlay that characterise so many Qajar works of arms and armour. Here, the rifle barrel is set on a wooden stock using nielloed silver, a technique strongly associated with the Caucasus region.

Discover more in our latest #MeetTheExpert object trail: https://bit.ly/3A3BGDi

11/09/2021

The Dutch artist Jan van der Heyden was the most accomplished townscape painter of seventeenth-century Holland. Also a talented engineer, he wrote and illustrated the first ever fire-fighting manual.⁠⠀
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This painting, dated late 1660s, shows a fanciful view of an unidentified church probably based upon the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. The figures are attributed to another artist, Adriaen van de Velde.⁠⠀

Van der Heyden’s command of perspective, clarity of detail and exceptional handling of paint can be particularly observed in his rendering of brickwork (shown in the next images), and was probably achieved with the aid of optical devices.

10/09/2021

Last month's #WallaceConnections took us on the Grand Tour for pleasure, this September we travel instead for work. Join us to discover how four artists left their countries of origin in search of a better future.⁠⁠

In 1672, the Dutch Republic was attacked by France, England, and two German bishoprics. The economy suffered and the art market collapsed. Among those who left the country were the celebrated marine artists the Willem van de Veldes, father and son.

The economic reason for their departure is confirmed in a letter by an art agent who met Van de Velde the Elder in Amsterdam. The artist had returned briefly to collect his wife and said that he had emigrated to Britain due to the bad conditions in Holland that disabled his work.

Before their departure the Van de Veldes worked for the Dutch Admiralties. The Elder sailed with the Dutch fleet during the First and the Second Anglo-Dutch Wars to provide visual records of the battles. He was on good terms with Dutch admirals.

Their move to England, the Dutch Republic’s enemy, might seem surprising, but at the time people thought about it in a different way. The Van de Veldes did very well for themselves here. They secured an annual salary from the King, a serious achievement for painters at the time.

09/09/2021

This atmospheric landscape by Dutch painter Jacob van Ruisdael, may depict Steinfurt Castle in Burgsteinfurt, Westphalia. Dated c.1650–5, the compositional harmony, restrained palette and romantic mood are characteristic of Ruisdael’s work.

In the foreground, the silhouette of a tree stands against a windswept sky. The transparent and fine filigree treatment of the trees reveals the accuracy and precision with which the painter observed the flora and fauna around him.

In the background, burrowed in the verdant landscape, we see the solid, more densely painted castle. Ruisdael frequently depicted castles in his work, not just as landmarks but also as a symbol of strength and impregnability.

This atmospheric landscape by Dutch painter Jacob van Ruisdael, may depict Steinfurt Castle in Burgsteinfurt, Westphalia. Dated c.1650–5, the compositional harmony, restrained palette and romantic mood are characteristic of Ruisdael’s work.

In the foreground, the silhouette of a tree stands against a windswept sky. The transparent and fine filigree treatment of the trees reveals the accuracy and precision with which the painter observed the flora and fauna around him.

In the background, burrowed in the verdant landscape, we see the solid, more densely painted castle. Ruisdael frequently depicted castles in his work, not just as landmarks but also as a symbol of strength and impregnability.

08/09/2021

☀️ With the summer sun beaming, we wanted to share this wondrously peaceful scene by the French painter Camille Roqueplan. Aptly named 'Summer Pleasures', the painting was made in 1830 and exhibited at the Paris Salon the following year.

Reclining under dappled shade, by a running stream, in the aftermath of a picnic, this elegantly dressed family of four could possibly be considered a bit overdressed for a day spent sitting on the grass — but their clothing does point us towards another layer of meaning.

With their plumed hats and broad collars, these individuals appear to step straight out of the seventeenth century. Roqueplan has infused the composition with an air of courtliness and gallantry, elevating it from a simple celebration of the joys of summer into a sophisticated nineteenth-century rendition of the fête galante, the pictorial genre popularised by his idol, Antoine Watteau.

☀️ With the summer sun beaming, we wanted to share this wondrously peaceful scene by the French painter Camille Roqueplan. Aptly named 'Summer Pleasures', the painting was made in 1830 and exhibited at the Paris Salon the following year.

Reclining under dappled shade, by a running stream, in the aftermath of a picnic, this elegantly dressed family of four could possibly be considered a bit overdressed for a day spent sitting on the grass — but their clothing does point us towards another layer of meaning.

With their plumed hats and broad collars, these individuals appear to step straight out of the seventeenth century. Roqueplan has infused the composition with an air of courtliness and gallantry, elevating it from a simple celebration of the joys of summer into a sophisticated nineteenth-century rendition of the fête galante, the pictorial genre popularised by his idol, Antoine Watteau.

07/09/2021

💐 Convolvulus, dahlias, grapes and honeysuckle, to name just a few, all vibrantly jump from this delightful still-life painted by the French artist Simon Saint-Jean.

Saint-Jean won a European reputation for his flower pieces, scrupulously painted in season and from nature. This particular work dates to later in the artist’s career, 1848.

Having first exhibited his flower pieces in 1827, Saint-Jean established himself in following decade as one of the leading artists and teachers in Lyon, renowned for its flower painters.

💐 Convolvulus, dahlias, grapes and honeysuckle, to name just a few, all vibrantly jump from this delightful still-life painted by the French artist Simon Saint-Jean.

Saint-Jean won a European reputation for his flower pieces, scrupulously painted in season and from nature. This particular work dates to later in the artist’s career, 1848.

Having first exhibited his flower pieces in 1827, Saint-Jean established himself in following decade as one of the leading artists and teachers in Lyon, renowned for its flower painters.

06/09/2021

Have you booked your tickets for our upcoming exhibition, Frans Hals #TheMalePortrait?

In what will be the first-ever show to focus solely on Hals’s portraits of men posing on their own, our very own Laughing Cavalier will be showcased alongside a selection of the artist’s best male portraits, including this lifelike piece from our friends at the Met, New York.
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Bringing together works from Europe and North America, The Male Portrait will explore Hals's highly innovative approach to male portraiture in particular, from the beginning of his career in the 1610s until the end of his life in 1666.⁠
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Opening 22 September 2021. Book now: https://bit.ly/3zOYCWP

Image: Frans Hals, Portrait of a Man, Possibly Nicolaes Pietersz Duyst van Voorhout, c. 1636-8, © The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Have you booked your tickets for our upcoming exhibition, Frans Hals #TheMalePortrait?

In what will be the first-ever show to focus solely on Hals’s portraits of men posing on their own, our very own Laughing Cavalier will be showcased alongside a selection of the artist’s best male portraits, including this lifelike piece from our friends at the Met, New York.
⁠
Bringing together works from Europe and North America, The Male Portrait will explore Hals's highly innovative approach to male portraiture in particular, from the beginning of his career in the 1610s until the end of his life in 1666.⁠
⁠
Opening 22 September 2021. Book now: https://bit.ly/3zOYCWP

Image: Frans Hals, Portrait of a Man, Possibly Nicolaes Pietersz Duyst van Voorhout, c. 1636-8, © The Metropolitan Museum of Art

05/09/2021

#Onthisday in 1638, the future king of France, #LouisXIV was born.

This bronze bust, originally gilded, was made by French sculptor Antoine Coysevox, who became the leading sculptor during the reign of Louis XIV and the first sculptor to the king in 1666.⁠
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Dated c.1699, the bust is a perfect example of Coysevox’s official portraits: the dynamism of the pose, with the head turning swiftly to the left and the almost arrogant look of the king all contribute towards conveying a clear sense of majesty. ⁠
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Other elements, such as the fleur de lys on the armour are common regal symbols. Coysevox’s interest in naturalism can be appreciated in the way the facial features of the king, by then 61 years old, accurately reflect his age.⁠

#Onthisday in 1638, the future king of France, #LouisXIV was born.

This bronze bust, originally gilded, was made by French sculptor Antoine Coysevox, who became the leading sculptor during the reign of Louis XIV and the first sculptor to the king in 1666.⁠
⁠
Dated c.1699, the bust is a perfect example of Coysevox’s official portraits: the dynamism of the pose, with the head turning swiftly to the left and the almost arrogant look of the king all contribute towards conveying a clear sense of majesty. ⁠
⁠
Other elements, such as the fleur de lys on the armour are common regal symbols. Coysevox’s interest in naturalism can be appreciated in the way the facial features of the king, by then 61 years old, accurately reflect his age.⁠

04/09/2021

For #WorldBeardDay today, we’re celebrating by sharing this precisely observed portrait by the Flemish Renaissance painter, Frans Pourbus the Elder.⁠⠀
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Painted in 1574, the unknown sitter is shown in Spanish dress, fashionable with the nobility in the southern Netherlands during the turbulent period of Spanish rule and Protestant revolt.⁠⠀
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Although the painting’s inscription identifies the sitter as the duc d’Alençon (1554-84), younger brother of Charles IX and Henri III of France, there is no evidence to support this claim and no other clues of the sitter’s identity are present.⁠⠀

For #WorldBeardDay today, we’re celebrating by sharing this precisely observed portrait by the Flemish Renaissance painter, Frans Pourbus the Elder.⁠⠀
⁠⠀
Painted in 1574, the unknown sitter is shown in Spanish dress, fashionable with the nobility in the southern Netherlands during the turbulent period of Spanish rule and Protestant revolt.⁠⠀
⁠⠀
Although the painting’s inscription identifies the sitter as the duc d’Alençon (1554-84), younger brother of Charles IX and Henri III of France, there is no evidence to support this claim and no other clues of the sitter’s identity are present.⁠⠀

03/09/2021

Last month's #WallaceConnections took us on the Grand Tour for pleasure, this September we travel instead for work. Join us to discover how four artists left their countries of origin in search of a better future.

The great sculptor Giambologna is associated with Italian Mannerism, but he was born in Flanders, as Jean de Boulogne. After his apprenticeship, he went to Rome as a journeyman, to broaden his experience and study the famous works of the Renaissance and Classical Antiquity.

On his way home he stopped in Florence, where he eventually stayed. He entered the service of the powerful Medici family who kept him occupied with commissions from monumental statues to elegant small bronze statuettes, which were often made as diplomatic gifts.

Dated c.1560, this small figure depicting Venus after the bath is one of the finest of several smaller bronzes associated with Giambologna now in the Wallace Collection.

Giambologna rarely left Florence and he needed his patron’s permission to work for another person. His work was in high demand and when Caterina de Medici, Queen of France, asked for Giambologna’s services, he was refused to go. The Holy Roman Emperors were also unsuccessful.

02/09/2021

This contemplative portrait, by English painter Sir Joshua Reynolds, is of Mrs Mary Robinson. By 1783, when Reynolds painted this portrait, Robinson had achieved public renown as an actress and author.

It is likely that Reynolds and Robinson constructed this composition together. Her melancholic pose looking out to sea reflects her recent partial paralysis caused whilst travelling to Dover in pursuit of her lover, Banastre Tarleton, who was himself fleeing from debts.

The broad handling of paint is characteristic of Reynolds’s later style, with the sketchiness of the lower part of the picture suggesting it may be unfinished.

This contemplative portrait, by English painter Sir Joshua Reynolds, is of Mrs Mary Robinson. By 1783, when Reynolds painted this portrait, Robinson had achieved public renown as an actress and author.

It is likely that Reynolds and Robinson constructed this composition together. Her melancholic pose looking out to sea reflects her recent partial paralysis caused whilst travelling to Dover in pursuit of her lover, Banastre Tarleton, who was himself fleeing from debts.

The broad handling of paint is characteristic of Reynolds’s later style, with the sketchiness of the lower part of the picture suggesting it may be unfinished.

01/09/2021

#DidYouKnow that snuffboxes played an important role in not just fashion and self-promotion, but in diplomacy and, in the 19th century, collecting. This extravagant piece in the Collection, manufactured in 1744-5, is the epitome of the rococo style of the time.

The decoration comprises six panels of mother-of-pearl carved with scrolls and shells and encrusted with gold strapwork and flowers. The centre of the lid has a carnelian basket of gold flowers, and more chased gold cagework.

Often snuffboxes were used as a currency for their monetary values and the status they could embody. Their practical purpose was often secondary – they were highly valued as art objects in their own right.

31/08/2021

Early in his career, the French artist Jules Dupré was influenced by English and seventeenth-century Dutch painting, and in 1834 he visited England, admiring the work of Constable among others.

This vibrant landscape, painted four years later, shows off this influence, which is contrasted with the bold colour and rich impasto particular of the artist himself.

Although one of the Barbizon school of landscape painters, Depré frequented the forest of Fontainebleau less than the other members, preferring to settle at L'Isle-Adam, a village north of Paris.⁠

Early in his career, the French artist Jules Dupré was influenced by English and seventeenth-century Dutch painting, and in 1834 he visited England, admiring the work of Constable among others.

This vibrant landscape, painted four years later, shows off this influence, which is contrasted with the bold colour and rich impasto particular of the artist himself.

Although one of the Barbizon school of landscape painters, Depré frequented the forest of Fontainebleau less than the other members, preferring to settle at L'Isle-Adam, a village north of Paris.⁠

30/08/2021

Inspired by the music festival crowds over the weekend, we couldn’t help but share a similarly energetic scene from the Collection for this Bank Holiday Monday.

Painted by Johann Georg Platzer, the subject of this work is taken from Greek mythology and illustrates the abduction of Helen by Paris, Prince of Troy, an episode which resulted in the Trojan War. Dated c. 1740-60, it is a typical example of the small, detailed paintings on copper showing historical scenes for which Platzer is best known.

Ancient Greek sources vary as to the nature of Helen’s abduction – it is sometimes described as a forced abduction but also as a calm and consensual event. Platzer follows the tradition of Western painting, and shows a violent scene of chaos and destruction.

Inspired by the music festival crowds over the weekend, we couldn’t help but share a similarly energetic scene from the Collection for this Bank Holiday Monday.

Painted by Johann Georg Platzer, the subject of this work is taken from Greek mythology and illustrates the abduction of Helen by Paris, Prince of Troy, an episode which resulted in the Trojan War. Dated c. 1740-60, it is a typical example of the small, detailed paintings on copper showing historical scenes for which Platzer is best known.

Ancient Greek sources vary as to the nature of Helen’s abduction – it is sometimes described as a forced abduction but also as a calm and consensual event. Platzer follows the tradition of Western painting, and shows a violent scene of chaos and destruction.