The Wallace Collection

The Wallace Collection Although we are temporarily closed, you can still explore one of the most significant collections of European fine and decorative arts in the world by visiting our website today.

The Wallace Collection is a national museum in an historic London town house. In 25 galleries are unsurpassed displays of French 18th-century painting, furniture and porcelain with superb Old Master paintings and a world class armoury.

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This work is entitled 'Calm: Dutch Ships coming to Anchor' by Willem van de Velde the Younger, who died #onthisday in 17...
06/04/2021

This work is entitled 'Calm: Dutch Ships coming to Anchor' by Willem van de Velde the Younger, who died #onthisday in 1707.

Born in 1633 in Leiden, Willem van de Velde the Younger was the son of the marine artist Willem van de Velde the elder (1611-93). This work is one of the most important works produced by the Van de Velde workshop during its Dutch period, before the family moved to England in 1671 – 2.

The ship in the left foreground flies the flag and pendant of the Commander-in-Chief of the Dutch fleet. It has been identified as the Liefde, commanded by Cornelis Tromp who was briefly Commander of the Fleet in 1665. On the far right sails the Leeuwarden, and in the distance the tower of Brandaris on the island of Terschelling can just be discerned.

The painting commemorates the seafaring prowess of the Dutch in the seventeenth century.

French artist Jean-Honoré Fragonard was born on this day in 1732. Le chiffre d'amour (The Souvenir) shows a young girl c...
05/04/2021

French artist Jean-Honoré Fragonard was born on this day in 1732. Le chiffre d'amour (The Souvenir) shows a young girl carving the initial of her lover on the bark of a tree, while observed by her pet spaniel, the symbol of her fidelity.

The painting is remarkable for his play with the idea of the artist's signature. It is signed at the lower right in a traditional way, but the girl also carves the letter 'F' into the tree, so signing the painting from within the scene.

Its scale and careful technique show Fragonard varying his style to echo the contemporary taste for Dutch seventeenth-century cabinet paintings, while continuing to animate these stylistic references with his own theatrical lighting, delicate draughtsmanship and traceries of hair and foliage resembling beautiful penmanship.

Join us TONIGHT at 6pm for the latest concert in our new series, in partnership with Orpheus Sinfonia, filmed within the...
04/04/2021

Join us TONIGHT at 6pm for the latest concert in our new series, in partnership with Orpheus Sinfonia, filmed within the splendour of Hertford House. Tonight's concert will focus on Rococo.

Some of the most exquisite masterpieces housed in the Wallace Collection epitomise Rococo’s refined frivolity. Tonight’s performance traces this ornamentation through iconic objects such as Fragonard’s The Swing and spectacular Meissen vases, alongside the spellbinding music of Rameau, Couperin and Gluck.

Each premier broadcast features Orpheus Sinfonia musicians performing a specially-selected repertoire that brings the synergy of art and music into focus - inviting you to explore the styles, forms and compositions that unite music with paintings, decorative arts, and arms and armour.

Book now: https://www.wallacecollection.org/whats-on/synergy-series-rococo/

Spanish artist Bartolomé-Esteban Murillo died #onthisday in Seville in 1682. This painting, widely acknowledged as one o...
03/04/2021

Spanish artist Bartolomé-Esteban Murillo died #onthisday in Seville in 1682. This painting, widely acknowledged as one of Murillo’s masterpieces and once part the Spanish Royal Collection at the Prado, is one of the gems of the Wallace Collection.

It shows the Marriage of the Virgin, which has no Biblical source but is found rather in the Golden Legend and the Apocryphal New Testament. Murillo depicts the moment when the Virgin takes the hand of Joseph, as their marriage is blessed by the high priest of the temple of Jerusalem, Zacharias, and the Holy Spirit descends on the couple. Murillo shows a group of unsuccessful suitors to the right, one of whom breaks his rod in anger.

#Murillo #SpanishPainting

#HappyEaster from everyone at the Wallace Collection! Have you seen the Easter Bunny today?The Easter Bunny, otherwise k...
02/04/2021

#HappyEaster from everyone at the Wallace Collection! Have you seen the Easter Bunny today?

The Easter Bunny, otherwise known as the Easter Rabbit or Easter Hare, is a figure from folklore and symbol of Easter. This particularly delightful pendant depicts a rabbit or hare, the flecked white enamel points suggesting the animal’s fur, and it's body being made from a large pearl.

One of the hallmarks of the Renaissance princely cabinet (Wunderkammer) was the juxtaposition of marvels from the natural world with masterpieces of human ingenuity. This duality can be seen in the small sculptures or items of jewellery created from large misshapen ‘baroque’ pearls, which became especially popular at princely courts from the late sixteenth century.

In this idyllic Arcadian landscape, a group of shepherdesses sit as they watch their dancing colleague. While on the rig...
31/03/2021

In this idyllic Arcadian landscape, a group of shepherdesses sit as they watch their dancing colleague. While on the right, the vista stretches into the hazy distance across plains and mountains.

Painted in 1658 by the Dutch artist Nicolaes Berchem, The Musical Shepherdess is one of the most charming pictures by the artist in the Wallace Collection.

The picture’s exquisite surface is partly explained by the artist’s use of copper as a support, which enabled him to obtain a much higher degree of finish than would have been possible on canvas.

This portrait of a boy with his falcon was painted by Dutch Golden Age painter, Joan van Noordt.Dated c.1665, the boy’s ...
30/03/2021

This portrait of a boy with his falcon was painted by Dutch Golden Age painter, Joan van Noordt.

Dated c.1665, the boy’s rich costume instils an aura of refinement to the portrait, evoking the elegance of Van Dyck and of Van Noordt’s Flemish contemporaries such as Gonzales Coques, while the sitter’s occupation suggests the privileged status of the huntsman.

The picture reflects the taste for a more aristocratic treatment in Dutch portraiture in the second half of the seventeenth century, and represents a refined variation on the tradition of falconer portraits painted by Rembrandt and Bol in the 1640s.

To celebrate #WorldTheatreDay today, we’re sharing this vibrant picture by the studio of Canaletto depicting the Giovedi...
27/03/2021

To celebrate #WorldTheatreDay today, we’re sharing this vibrant picture by the studio of Canaletto depicting the Giovedi Grasso, or 'Fat Thursday' festival - the the last opportunity for feasting before Ash Wednesday as Lent is a time for fasting.

The colourful festivals were one of the principal tourist attractions in eighteenth-century Venice, and provided some of Canaletto’s most popular subject matter. This particular work is dated c. 1741 – 1760.

During this festival, an elaborate stage was built in the Piazzetta, here shown bearing the arms of the Pisani family and of Pietro Grimani (Doge 1741-52). Rival teams of acrobats execute a human pyramid, while the ropes, stretching diagonally across the picture, enabled another acrobat to ‘fly’ from the Campanile to the Doge’s loggia. There he would recite verses in the Doge’s honour and present him with flowers.

In the foreground, figures in commedia dell’ arte costume are seen mingling with onlookers and revellers wearing the carnival dress of the bauta, or white mask and black cape. Ten of Canaletto’s drawings for this series survive, but no original painted prototype by Canaletto is known.

It's #DanteDay and this year it's particularly special as Dante Alighieri died 700 years ago this year!This painting, 'F...
25/03/2021

It's #DanteDay and this year it's particularly special as Dante Alighieri died 700 years ago this year!

This painting, 'Francesca da Rimini' was inspired by Dante’s Inferno, the first part of The Divine Comedy, which has been long considered one of the greatest works of Italian literature. As one of Ary Scheffer's most admired works, it shows Dante and his guide, the Roman poet Virgil, during their passage through Hell. They look on the tragic figures of Paolo Malatesta and Francesca da Rimini, real contemporaries of Dante, who portrayed them as characters in his work.

Francesca had been forced to marry the hideous Gianciotto da Rimini as part of a political alliance, but had fallen in love with his handsome younger brother, Paolo. In 1285, Paolo and Francesca were murdered by Gianciotto when he caught them kissing while reading an account of the love of Sir Lancelot for Queen Guinevere together.

Dante's tale condemned them to the stormy darkness of Hell’s second circle, with the souls of the lustful, perpetually swept away by an eternal whirlwind as they allowed themselves to be swept away by their passions.

It's #NationalPuppyDay!This portrait of Miss Jane Bowles was painted around 1775, when Jane was probably about three or ...
23/03/2021

It's #NationalPuppyDay!

This portrait of Miss Jane Bowles was painted around 1775, when Jane was probably about three or four years old. It is by Sir Joshua Reynolds, considered one of the leading portrait painters of his day and President of the Royal Academy of Arts.

She is portrayed in a fanciful theatrical costume, kneeling and embracing her pet spaniel.

The lively and spontaneous composition recalls Reynolds's ‘fancy pictures.’ The beam of sunlight, which shines through the foliage on the right hand side of the picture, is boldly painted in a few decisive strokes of paint.

This magnificent chest of drawers was made between 1735 and 1740 by Antoine-Robert Gaudreaus, a cabinetmaker who supplie...
23/03/2021

This magnificent chest of drawers was made between 1735 and 1740 by Antoine-Robert Gaudreaus, a cabinetmaker who supplied furniture to Louis XV and the French royal family.

It is one of the most exuberant pieces of rococo furniture in the Wallace Collection, having sinuous outlines and elaborate ‘rocaille’ mounts from which emerge palms and dragons. The female mask in the centre of the piece may have been influenced by engravings of costumed heads after Antoine Watteau.

Its lavish curved forms and incredibly splendid gilt-bronze decoration simply make the piece a riot of rococo to look at and truly encapsulates the artistic spirit of the time.

#SirAnthonyvanDyck, the Flemish Baroque portraitist, was born #onthisday 1599 in Antwerp.Van Dyck became the leading cou...
22/03/2021

#SirAnthonyvanDyck, the Flemish Baroque portraitist, was born #onthisday 1599 in Antwerp.

Van Dyck became the leading court painter in England after success in the Southern Netherlands and Italy. In 1632 he was knighted by Charles I, being described as 'principalle paynter in Ordinary to their Majesties at St James’. ⁠
⁠
This painting depicting The Judgement of Paris was certainly not an unusual subject, but van Dyck’s choice to paint Paris alone breaks with the conventional rendering of the mythological story. ⁠
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With the absence of the goddesses, their beauty is only apparent by Paris' rapt gaze, while his twisted pose emphasises his dilemma. By modelling Paris closely on his own looks, Van Dyck may be identifying himself with Paris - both of whom were reputably attractive. ⁠

To mark #WorldPoetryDay, we wanted to share this atmospheric masterpiece of one of the best-known actresses, writers, an...
21/03/2021

To mark #WorldPoetryDay, we wanted to share this atmospheric masterpiece of one of the best-known actresses, writers, and poets of the 18th century, Perdita, Mrs Mary Robinson.

Painted in 1781 by Thomas Gainsborough, Perdita is shown sat with her loyal dog and miniature portrait of her lover in hand. Her silk dress and powdered face are immaculate, and the folds of her dress merge with the soft green foliage of the dark woodland shadows.

Although the painting was commissioned by the Prince of Wales (later George IV) after their brief but notorious affair, it seems it was Mrs Robinson who determined its pose. Perdita is in a pastoral retreat, exiled to an autumnal landscape where the hues are brown and muted, and the tone is rich and reflective. Gainsborough’s fluid brushwork and loose composition are particularly noteworthy, with Perdita appearing to melt into the landscape, imparting a poetic weight to the picture.

#WorldPoetryDay2021

This atmospheric landscape, by Italian Baroque painter Salvator Rosa, depicts the god Apollo granting Sibyl the gift of ...
20/03/2021

This atmospheric landscape, by Italian Baroque painter Salvator Rosa, depicts the god Apollo granting Sibyl the gift of long life.

Dated c.1657-8, Rosa’s expressive brushwork, dark tones and dramatic treatment of light, together with his characterisation of the wild landscape of rocks and splintered trees, create a sense of foreboding and mystery in-keeping with the melancholy story.

Ovid’s Metamorphoses (XIV, 129-53) tells of how the amorous Apollo offered the Cumaean Sibyl anything she desired. She is shown in the painting asking for as many years of life as there are grains of dust in her hands. Although Apollo granted her wish, she still refused him her favours. In retribution, he denied her perpetual youth and she lived for over seven hundred years in increasing misery.

Henriette Sontag was one of the leading operatic and concert sopranos of her time. Renowned from an early age, her admir...
18/03/2021

Henriette Sontag was one of the leading operatic and concert sopranos of her time. Renowned from an early age, her admirers included that of Goethe and Beethoven.

Owing to her incredible raw talent, Sontag was only eighteen when she sang solo soprano parts in the first performances of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and ‘Missa Solemnis’.

This beautiful miniature, dated 1852, is by the French artist Alexandre Fiocchi. His miniatures are exceedingly rare, and it is perhaps even more surprising that there are as many as four in the Wallace Collection - suggesting that the artist may have been known personally to Lord Hertford or Richard Wallace.
#WomensHistoryMonth

The period from the later fifteenth to the mid-seventeenth centuries is often described as the ‘Golden Age’ of Venetian ...
17/03/2021

The period from the later fifteenth to the mid-seventeenth centuries is often described as the ‘Golden Age’ of Venetian glass. Such was the awe in which Venetian glass was held that it was reputed to have magical qualities, breaking or changing colour on contact with poison.

Several of the qualities that made Venetian glass so successful are also true of magic: elements of surprise, secrecy, audacity, meticulous timing, imagination, entrepreneurship, showmanship, and the beholder’s bafflement as to how the finished product was achieved.

Discover the stories behind the magical and awe-inspiring properties held within the Venetian glass of the Wallace Collection in tomorrow's free talk on the 'Golden Age' of Venetian glassmaking.

Tune in at 13.00 GMT here: https://youtu.be/PRAbaydfxnw

Pioneering French artist, Rosa Bonheur was born #onthisday 1822.Largely self-taught, Bonheur owed much to her study of t...
16/03/2021

Pioneering French artist, Rosa Bonheur was born #onthisday 1822.

Largely self-taught, Bonheur owed much to her study of the Dutch animal paintings in the Louvre. Her naturalist style of painting, derived from the close observation of her subjects, established Bonheur as the leading French animal painter of her time.

Greatly admired in Britain and America, Bonheur enjoyed considerable social success, her paintings fetching high prices at auction. She was the first woman to receive the Legion of Honour.

This elegant study is titled A Waggon and a Team of Horses, and was painted in 1852.

#WomensHistoryMonth

The Flemish Baroque painter Joannes Fyt, was born #onthisday 1611.This monumental composition set in a grand architectur...
15/03/2021

The Flemish Baroque painter Joannes Fyt, was born #onthisday 1611.

This monumental composition set in a grand architectural interior is typical of Fyt’s work and is characteristic of mid-seventeenth century Flemish still-life painting in general.

Painted in 1644, the composition’s dramatic tone is emphasised with the presence of a blood-stained cloth and the contrast of the dead game with the live monkey, dog and parrot.

Fyt had a successful and prolific career and often collaborated with other artists, the boy in this particular painting appears to have been added by another artist: possibly attributed to the Flemish painter, Erasmus Quellinus.

Happy #MothersDay from everyone here at the Wallace Collection.This joyously sulky painting of a mother teaching her chi...
14/03/2021

Happy #MothersDay from everyone here at the Wallace Collection.

This joyously sulky painting of a mother teaching her child to read is by the French artist Hippolyte (Paul) Delaroche, painted in 1848.

Paired with another work in the Collection by Delaroche titled ‘Mother and Children’, the two pictures contrast mood, social status as well as leisure and activity, but are united by their themes of parenthood and nurturing, subjects which were of great concern to Delaroche.

#MothersDay #MotheringSunday

This restful landscape is by the Italian-born painter Gaspard Dughet. Titled The Falls at Tivoli, the work expertly demo...
13/03/2021

This restful landscape is by the Italian-born painter Gaspard Dughet. Titled The Falls at Tivoli, the work expertly demonstrates Dughet’s skill as a painter, whose reputation was rivalled during his lifetime only by those of Claude and Salvator Rosa.

Sounds of the waterfall, the distant conversation of the people in the river, and the gentle breeze through the trees, all help to imbue this depiction of the picturesque town of Tivoli with a natural calm.

Situated eighteen miles north-east of Rome, Tivoli sits on the edge of the Sabine Mountains. Dughet’s picture appears to show the first of the waterfalls on the river Teverone (now Aniene) on the north-east side. It is one of the finest of several views of Tivoli painted by the artist and probably dates from late in his career, c.1661 – 63.

As a closed art collection built in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Wallace Collection does not possess ext...
12/03/2021

As a closed art collection built in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Wallace Collection does not possess extensive holdings by artists who were women.

This is a reflection of the fact that women artists are few and far between in the history of European art. Because of their gender, they were denied access to the training required of professional artists and discouraged from participating in public exhibitions.

It comes therefore as a refreshing surprise that one of our most popular paintings — the affectionate representation of the sheepdog Brizo — was made by a woman.

Rosa Bonheur was one of the most celebrated painters of her time, thanks to her natural talent and astonishing work ethic. Her most famous work, ‘The Horse Fair’, now at The Met, New York, received a private viewing at Buckingham Palace before it was sold to an American collector.

She was the first woman artist to become ‘chevalier’ of the Legion of Honour. Thirty years later, she cemented her reputation as a true breaker of glass ceilings by becoming the first woman ever to be honoured as an ‘officier’ by the same institution.

#WallaceConnections #WomensHistoryMonth

Mary Robinson was one of the best-known actresses and writers of the 18th century. She was also one of the most painted ...
11/03/2021

Mary Robinson was one of the best-known actresses and writers of the 18th century. She was also one of the most painted and caricatured women of the period.

Dated 1780-81, this portrait by George Romney depicts ‘Perdita’ in fashionable costume. Her facial expression is knowing and defiant as she raises one eyebrow, as if tempting the viewer to challenge her.

Having first appeared on stage in 1776, it was a later performance in ‘The Winter’s Tale’ for which the actress became particularly famous; a part which earned her the nickname ‘Perdita’. It was in this role that Robinson first caught the attention of the Prince of Wales (later George IV), with whom she went on to have a brief but notorious affair.

#WomensHistoryMonth

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Hertford House, Manchester Square
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Visiting by Bus Numbers 2, 10, 12, 13, 30, 74, 82, 94, 113, 137, 274 all stop nearby. Visiting by Rail Marylebone BR Station is approximately a 10-15 minute walk. Visiting by Tube The nearest tubes are Bond Street (Central & Jubilee Lines) and Baker Street (Circle, District, Hammersmith & City, Jubilee and Metropolitan Lines). Oxford Circus (Bakerloo, Central, Victoria Lines) is a 10-15 minute walk. For visitors arriving with an Assistance Dog, Marble Arch is the nearest tube with stairs. Parking Parking on nearby streets metered until 6.30pm. A selection of car parks can be found nearb. Disabled visitors can pre-book a parking space, see website for information: http://www.wallacecollection.org/visiting/howtoreachus

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Spanish Painting at the Wallace Collection
Spanish Painting at the Wallace Collection

Today is the last day of Forgotten Masters: Indian Painting for the East India Company! Forgotten Masters presents an extraordinary opportunity to see masterpieces of Indian painting, brought together for the first time in the UK. Shedding light on a forgotten moment in Anglo-Indian history, and reflecting both the beauty of the natural world and the social reality of the time.⁠⠀ You can now relive the vivid detail and masterful artistry of the show online. Explore the show’s themes and artworks with our exhibition introduction film, led by curator William Dalrymple and Wallace Collection director Dr Xavier Bray, and our room-by-room digital tour, via our website. Discover Forgotten Masters online today: https://bit.ly/3ip2wgp

Forgotten Masters is now open! In this introduction, hear from the Wallace Collection’s director Dr Xavier Bray and exhibition curator William Dalrymple, as they explore some of the iconic pieces and beautiful works of art on display in the show. Open for just 6 weeks, don’t miss your chance to see these masterpieces of Indian painting, as they shed light on a forgotten moment in Anglo-Indian history.⁠ Limited number of tickets available, book now to avoid disappointment. https://www.wallacecollection.org/forgotten-masters-indian-painting-east-india-company/ ⁠ Exhibition closes 13 September 2020. ⁠ In partnership with DAG.⁠ With thanks to Imagineear for the audio production – the full and original version was an audioguide to the exhibition.

We’re excited to announce that tickets are now on sale for the reopening of Forgotten Masters: Indian Painting for the East India Company! Curated by renowned writer and historian William Dalrymple, Forgotten Masters presents an extraordinary opportunity to see vivid and highly original works commissioned by East India Company officials in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.⁠ Open from 29 July 2020 for just 6 weeks, don’t miss your chance to explore these masterpieces of Indian painting, as they shed light on a forgotten moment in Anglo-Indian history. In order to maintain social distancing, a very limited number of daily tickets will be available, so please book early to avoid disappointment. Book your tickets today: https://bit.ly/30EjKPf Exhibition closes 13 September 2020. Members enjoy unlimited access to all our exhibitions, but pre-booking is essential at this time. In partnership with DAG.

The Wallace Collection's Arms and Armour Curator, Tobias Capwell introduces these two elegant and sumptuously decorated flint-lock pistols made for King Louis XIV of France. Their precise provenance is unknown, it has been suggested that the pistols might have been made in celebration of the capture of Dunkirk in 1658. Alternatively, they might have formed part of a gift from the city of Lille to mark and celebrate the annexation of that city by French forces in the 1667-8 Spanish Netherlands campaign. The quality and craftsmanship are of the highest order: the stocks are of carved walnut stained dark, while the gun barrels are engraved, blued and overlaid in gold. As was often the case with guns intended for royalty, they do not bear the name of their maker. Film by Jamie Isbell, music by Oscar Webster Bell. #WallacefromHome

Today’s #MuseumWeek theme is #technologyMW. Digital technology can transform the ways in which we see and understand historic objects. The Wallace Collection has pioneered using SketchUp to document important pieces of furniture as digital models and is in the process of publishing them using the web platform, Sketchfab. Such technology allows us to explore the objects in three-dimensional space and discover the complexity of their construction. This model is of a chest of drawers made by French cabinetmaker Jean-Henri Riesener for Marie-Antoinette’s use at the Château de Marly in 1782. The meticulous digital recreation of Riesener’s chest of drawers gives us a remarkable insight into his craftsmanship and practice, with this model showing the deconstruction of the object into approximately 530 pieces. Who would have believed that a chest of drawers is so complicated! Find out more about Riesener in our blog: https://bit.ly/2Zajoke

The Great Gallery is in many ways the heart of the Wallace Collection; it was intended by Sir Richard Wallace as the culmination of a visit to Hertford House. The major refurbishment of 2014 gave us a rare opportunity to think afresh about the arrangement of the paintings, which were to hang on beautiful new silk and utilise new lighting. For today’s MuseumWeek theme of #MuseumMomentsMW, we wanted to share this time-lapse of the rehang of one of the finest collections of Old Master paintings in the world, a truly defining moment for the Wallace Collection. #TheGreatGallery #OldMasters #Painting #TheWallaceCollection

Iconic Italian painter Giovanni Antonio Canal, commonly known as Canaletto, died #onthisday 1768. In this film, relive the restoration of two of Canaletto's most magnificent paintings in the Collection. Depicting the Bacino di San Marco, Venice’s inner harbour of Saint Mark’s, both pieces were restored as part of a 2017 conservation project at the Hamilton Kerr Institute at the University of Cambridge.⁠ The restoration was funded by the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, as part of the company’s global Art Conservation Project. Find out more about these two incredible works here: https://bit.ly/3eAfxC4

The Wallace Collection’s Great Gallery is one of the finest rooms of European painting found anywhere in the world. Displaying an outstanding array of masterpieces, including works by Rubens, Velázquez, Poussin, and van Dyck, it is an inspiring celebration of colour, canvas and masterful artistry. With the Great Gallery as its setting, we wanted to share this emotive piece by cellist Ariana Kashefi and pianist Maksim Stsura, as they perform Claude Debussy's ‘Cello Sonata, i Prologue’. Recorded live in July 2019 as part of City Music Foundation’s Annual Summer Residency. #ThrowbackThursday

“I do believe that art is a mirror on life and that it gives us the depth of understanding how other people lived and I have been inspired by it my whole career.” #Throwback to our 2009 interview with iconic British designer Dame Vivienne Westwood, as she talks about the art and artists of the Wallace Collection and how they have influenced and inspired her. Has there been a particular work from the Collection that has inspired you? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below. #ThrowbackThursday

Whether we’ve been sitting or lounging or dozing or dreaming, all of us have become a little more familiar with our own furniture lately. For today’s #FurnitureFriday, we wanted to share this film of one of our own treasured pieces in the Collection, conserved by a wonderful team a few years ago. This elegant armchair is one of only a small number of English pieces of furniture in the Collection. Designed by #WilliamKent in the 18th century, the chair shows off the bold, sculptural forms employed by much of Kent's furniture and was greatly inspired by his trips to Italy. #WFH #WallaceFromHome #MuseumfromHome

“Some of the greatest natural history artworks of all time.” ★★★★★ - The Guardian⁠ “A dizzying range of exquisite paintings.” - BBC Culture Curated by renowned writer and historian William Dalrymple, #ForgottenMasters presents an extraordinary opportunity to see vivid and highly original works commissioned by East India Company officials in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.⁠ A UK first, don’t miss your chance to explore these masterpieces of Indian painting, as they shed light on a forgotten moment in Anglo-Indian history. ⁠⁠ Open now. Book your tickets here: https://bit.ly/2P9WIL2 Members go free!

In 2019, the Centro de Estudios Europa Hispánica generously funded the cleaning, restoration and technical analysis of the Wallace Collection's painting, Prince Baltasar Carlos in the Riding School by the Studio of Velázquez. Explore the full process of the treatment here: https://bit.ly/2HxYPnR

Join our Director, Dr Xavier Bray, as he discusses the Wallace Collection’s masterpiece by Titian, Perseus and Andromeda. The work will be heading to the National Gallery for their forthcoming exhibition Titian: Love, Desire, Death, bringing together Titian’s magnificent ‘poesie’ for the first time since the late 16th century. Find out more here: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/titian-love-desire-death/facebook-live

One of the most celebrated French furniture makers of all time, Jean-Henri Riesener, died #onthisday in 1806. Riesener is famous for making roll-top desks. This desk in the Wallace Collection has been digitally recreated to illustrate the complexity of its construction. The intricate design combines a roll top, which conceals drawers, shelves and a writing surface, and three lower drawers. Their contents would have been protected by the ingenious locking mechanism hidden within the desk. Find out more about the technical brilliance of Riesener’s furniture on our blog here: https://www.wallacecollection.org/blog/riesener-project/

★★★★★ “Gorgeous and enlightening” – The Guardian ★★★★ “A delightful menagerie of charismatic creatures” - Telegraph ★★★★ – Time Out ★★★★ – Londonist⁠ ⁠ Have you had a chance to see #ForgottenMasters yet? ⁠ Curated by renowned writer and historian William Dalrymple, this is the first UK exhibition of works by Indian master painters commissioned by East India Company officials in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.⁠ ⁠⁠ Open now. ⁠Members go free! Book your tickets here: bit.ly/2LnfA7h

This chest-of-drawers was made by one of the greatest French cabinetmakers of the eighteenth century, Jean-Henri Riesener. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ It has been modelled in meticulous detail using an interactive digital platform, allowing us to explore the object in over 500 pieces. This is a new and exciting approach to furniture history which has been developed by a Riesener research project taking place at The Wallace Collection, Royal Collection Trust and Waddesdon Manor.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ You can find the model here, on the Riesener Project blog: https://www.wallacecollection.org/blog/riesener-project/ #FurnitureFriday

★★★★★ “Gorgeous and enlightening” – The Guardian ⁠⠀ ★★★★ “A delightful menagerie of charismatic creatures” - Telegraph ⁠⠀ ★★★★ – Time Out ⁠⠀ ★★★★ – Londonist⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ OPEN NOW - #ForgottenMasters: Indian Painting for the East India Company.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Curated by renowned writer and historian William Dalrymple, this is the first UK exhibition of works by Indian master painters commissioned by East India Company officials in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ The exhibition represents an unprecedented opportunity to see these vivid and highly original paintings together for the first time, recognising them as among the greatest masterpieces of Indian painting.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Book your tickets here: https://bit.ly/2LnfA7h

Next week, the Wallace Collection opens #ForgottenMasters, the first UK exhibition of works by Indian master painters commissioned by East India Company officials in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Curated by renowned writer and historian, William Dalrymple. Forgotten Masters: Indian Painting for the East India Company opens on 4 December 2019, until 19 April 2020. Book your tickets now: https://bit.ly/2MXlQ7d

There is less than a week left to see the award winning exhibition, An Enquiring Mind: Manolo Blahník at the Wallace Collection. Marvel at a personally selected edit of shoe designs from Blahník’s private archives, set amongst the masterpieces of the Wallace Collection. Until 27 October 2019. Free admission, no booking required. Find out more here: https://bit.ly/2Zn8DLG Exhibition in partnership between Manolo Blahník and the Wallace Collection.

If you could save #OneArtwork from destruction, what would it be? Ahead of this week’s release of Warner Bros. Pictures' #TheGoldfinch, Sotheby's asked the film’s cast and the Wallace Collection’s director, Xavier Bray, that exact question. Watch the full video to find out what they chose…

Have you seen An Enquiring Mind: Manolo Blahník at the Wallace Collection? Marvel at a personally selected edit of shoe designs from Blahník’s private archives, set amongst the masterpieces of the Wallace Collection. Now entering its final month, on until 27 October 2019. Free admission, no booking required. Find out more here: https://bit.ly/2Zn8DLG Exhibition in partnership between Manolo Blahník and the Wallace Collection.

King #LouisXIV of France was born #onthisday 1638. During his long reign, Louis XIV was a steadfast patron of the arts. His influence had a profound effect on art at the time; many works, from furniture to paintings, can be found in the Wallace Collection today. Find out more here: https://www.wallacecollection.org/collection/

In our current exhibition learn how Manolo Blahnik's iconic shoe designs have been inspired by the Masterpieces of the Wallace Collection. Open daily with free admission! #WallaceCollectionxManoloBlahnik #AnEnquiringMind

On this day 1653 the Battle of Scheveningen took place - the final naval battle of the First Anglo-Dutch War. This painting by Willem van de Velde the Younger depicts the Dutch fireship, the Fortuin (Fortune) about to ram the Andrew, commanded by the English Rear-Admiral, Thomas Graves. #OTD

Be taken on a journey through the works that inspired Manolo Blahnik's enquiring mind... #AnEnquiringMind #WallaceCollectionxManoloBlahnik Until 1 September 2019.

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I just posted here about the potential closure of library and archive. Unless it is a technical hiccough my post seems to have been deleted. So how is the (short) consultation being carried out and where is the debate to take place?
I read with some concern about the current proposal to close the library and archive. Any quality gallery museum needs these, and I would expect any government controlled institution to offer public and scholarly access to the same.I didnt see an item in the board minutes about this. When was it decided or is it an officer level decision without public accountability?
I was registered for online Wallace Collection talk about collectors via Zoom on 26 October. I tried to log in with details taken from Wallace's confirmation email but got message that passcode was incorrect. Very disappointed to miss this talk. Did anyone else have same problem?
Please check messages as I have not had a response. Thank you
I was registered for Last night’s Wallace online talk via Zoom - I could not log in with the details supplied on confirmation email so missed the seminar. Did anyone else have a problem?
The Two-Handed Greatsword (Spada a Due Mani) - Anonimo Bolognese (ca. 1500 - 1550) - 11th action The third in a new series on the use of the Two-Handed Greatsword (Spada a due Mani), this is from the Manuscripts attributed to the ‘Anonimo Bolognese’ (ca. 1500 - 1550). Performed with a synthetic blade due to public access, this is the 11th action. -———————————————————————————- As many of you are probably aware, my moniker of ‘Wandering Swordsman’ used in these videos is based on the old European concept of a non guild affiliated instructor in swordsmanship being little better than a vagabond. This is particularly apt due to my lifestyle choice of living on a boat and travelling around the south of England, putting up posters and offering classes wherever I happen to stop. -———————————————————————————- Initiating action a.) Begin the action in cinghiara porta di ferro alta, with your false edge in contact with that of your opponent. b.) Cross your arms to bring your blade to the opposite side of your opponents weapon, catching the weak between your blade and crossguard. c.) Throw the opponents weapon across your body with a sweeping action, passing obliquely to the right when their tip has moved safely out of presence. d.) Continue the sweeping motion into a circular cut, drawing your left foot behind your right as you cut a mandritto fendente to your opponents head. Counter action a.) Await your opponents action in the same guard position. b.) Do not react to your opponent as they cross their arms. Watch their feet peripherally - if you are keeping correct distance, then they should not be close enough to land a blow without advancing a foot. c.) Your opportunity presents itself when your opponent passes forwards, throwing your weapon aside and uncrossing to cut at you. d.) As your opponent releases your blade, cut a mezzo mandritto to their flank. e.) Immediately lift into guardia di intrare, catching the opponents cut on your cross while threatening the face. The great plague of 2020 has finally waned enough for me to get out and about a bit more; now to do something about this newly developed spare tire 😅🥺🍺 If you want to support the channel, feel free to get me a coffee over at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JayMaxwell and don’t forget to like and subscribe ☕️ #diaryofawanderingswordsman #tempusfugitives #coffee
The Two Handed Greatsword - Anonimo Bolognese (ca. 1500 - 1550) - 10th action The second in a series on the use of the Two-Handed Greatsword (Spada a due Mani), this is from the Manuscripts attributed to the ‘Anonimo Bolognese’ (ca. 1500 - 1550). Performed with a synthetic blade due to public access, this is the 10th action. -———————————————————————————- As many of you are probably aware, my moniker of ‘Wandering Swordsman’ used in these videos is based on the old European concept of a non guild affiliated instructor in swordsmanship being little better than a vagabond. This is particularly apt due to my lifestyle choice of living on a boat and travelling around the south of England, putting up posters and offering classes wherever I happen to stop. -———————————————————————————- 10th action a.) Start in porta di ferro alta, with your false edge against that of your opponent. b.) If your opponent thrusts along your blade, catch it on your Crossguard by lifting into guardia di testa. c.) Use your weapon to forcefully displace your opponents blade down and to the right. d.) Passing to the left, continue with a wheeling cut into a riverso fendente to the head and draw your right foot behind your left. Counter action a.) Starting in porta di ferro alta, pass forwards thrusting along your opponents blade, keeping your false edge in contact with theirs. b.) When your opponent catches and displaces your blade, use the force of that displacement to turn a mandritto to their head. For more on this subject, or if you would like to purchase your own training weapons to practice the content of these videos, please visit our website: www.tempus-fugitives.co.uk I’m starting to look a bit scruffy again, I guess I’ll have to briefly head back towards civilisation soon 😕 If you want to support the channel, and a haircut, feel free to get me a coffee over at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JayMaxwell ☕️ #diaryofawanderingswordsman #tempusfugitives #coffee
What life could have been!!
The Military Billhook (Welsh or Forest Bill) - George Silver (1599) - paradoxes, ch. 13 pt. 6&8 George Silver was a controversial character, even in his time, for his vehement opposition to the popular Italian systems being taught in London during the 16th century. Claiming to be revealing the older English methods of combat, his ‘Paradoxes of Defense for the True Handling of all Manner of Weapons’ does give an excellent description of the principles upon which this systems is grounded. The bill was the primary infantry weapon of Tudor armies, and described by George Silver as having “advantage against all manner of weapons whatsoever”. Ironically, Di Grassi, the author of an earlier book on Italian methodology popular in London - including the use of the bill - agreed with this notion in stating that the bill was the final and most superior form of polearm. -———————————————————————————- As many of you are probably aware, my moniker of ‘Wandering Swordsman’ used in these videos is based on the old European concept of a non guild affiliated instructor in swordsmanship being little better than a vagabond. This is particularly apt due to my lifestyle choice of living on a boat and travelling around the south of England, putting up posters and offering classes wherever I happen to stop. -———————————————————————————- Technique 1 a.) If the head of your opponents weapon lies lower than yours, place your fork over their haft, forcing it down. b.) Pass forwards, sliding the fork up the haft to your opponents hands. c.) Fall back into guard. Technique 2 a.) If the head of your opponents weapon lies higher than yours, place your fork under their haft and force their weapon aside. b.) Pass forwards, thrusting at your opponent one handed. c.) If your thrust misses, pull your opponent off balance as you lacerate them with the hook, stepping back into guard. For more on this subject, or if you would like to purchase your own training weapons to practice the content of these videos, please visit our website: www.tempus-fugitives.co.uk I finally managed to buzz those nasty, messy head-weeds off my scalp! Phew... The great plague of 2020 has certainly allowed me to cultivate my 16th c. beard, although I seem to be getting fatter every episode too 😅🥺🍺 If you want to support the channel, feel free to get me a coffee over at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JayMaxwell and don’t forget to like and subscribe ☕️ #diaryofawanderingswordsman #tempusfugitives #coffee
The Two-Handed Greatsword (Spada a Due Mani) - Anonimo Bolognese (ca. 1500 - 1550) - 9th action The first in a new series on the use of the Two-Handed Greatsword (Spada a due Mani), this is from the Manuscripts attributed to the ‘Anonimo Bolognese’ (ca. 1500 - 1550). Performed with a synthetic blade due to public access, this is the 9th action. -———————————————————————————- As many of you are probably aware, my moniker of ‘Wandering Swordsman’ used in these videos is based on the old European concept of a non guild affiliated instructor in swordsmanship being little better than a vagabond. This is particularly apt due to my lifestyle choice of living on a boat and travelling around the south of England, putting up posters and offering classes wherever I happen to stop. -———————————————————————————- Initiating action a.) Begin the action in cinghiara porta di ferro alta, with your false edge in contact with that of your opponent. b.) Cut a mandritto into your opponents blade as you pass right. c.) Inflict a falso to your opponents face as you draw your left foot behind your right. Counter action a.) Stand in guardia di porta di ferro alta, and do not react as your opponent beats down your blade. b.) Raise your hands over your head to catch your opponents falso. c.) Pass left, turning your blade over your head and gripping it at halfsword, so that the blade slopes down and to your left. Force your opponents blade to the side. d.) Finish with a mandritto to your opponents head. I finally managed to buzz those nasty, messy head-weeds off my scalp! Phew... The great plague of 2020 has certainly allowed me to cultivate my 16th c. beard, and I seem to be looking somewhat trimmer again too 😃 If you want to support the channel, feel free to get me a coffee over at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JayMaxwell and don’t forget to like and subscribe ☕️ #diaryofawanderingswordsman #tempusfugitives #coffee
The Military Billhook (Welsh or Forest Bill) - George Silver (1599) - paradoxes, ch. 13 pt. 1&2 George Silver was a controversial character, even in his time, for his vehement opposition to the popular Italian systems being taught in London during the 16th century. Claiming to be revealing the older English methods of combat, his ‘Paradoxes of Defense for the True Handling of all Manner of Weapons’ does give an excellent description of the principles upon which this systems is grounded. The bill was the primary infantry weapon of Tudor armies, and described by George Silver as having “advantage against all manner of weapons whatsoever”. Ironically, Di Grassi, the author of an earlier book on Italian methodology popular in London - including the use of the bill - agreed with this notion in stating that the bill was the final and most superior form of polearm. -———————————————————————————- As many of you are probably aware, my moniker of ‘Wandering Swordsman’ used in these videos is based on the old European concept of a non guild affiliated instructor in swordsmanship being little better than a vagabond. This is particularly apt due to my lifestyle choice of living on a boat and travelling around the south of England, putting up posters and offering classes wherever I happen to stop. -———————————————————————————- Technique 1 a.) Catch your opponents weapon in the fork of yours and displace it down and to the side. b.) Run the fork up the haft of their weapon, and onto their hands as you start forward. c.) Continue to pass forward to catch your opponents neck or limbs with the hook of the bill. d.) Lacerate and unbalance your opponent by yanking sharply on the bill as you pass back. e.) Although not strictly speaking in the text, it seems impolite to just leave your opponent lying there, so finish them off. f.) Return back into guard. Technique 2 a.) Catch your opponents weapon in the fork of yours and displace it down and to the side, this time so forcefully that you cannot attack his hands. b.) Pass forwards into the opening you have created, placing your left hand near the head of your bill as you hook your opponents knee. c.) Pass forwards again, tearing your opponents knee out with the hook of your bill as you close in to grapple. For more on this subject, or if you would like to purchase your own training weapons to practice the content of these videos, please visit our website: www.tempus-fugitives.co.uk I finally managed to buzz those nasty, messy head-weeds off my scalp! Phew... The great plague of 2020 has certainly allowed me to cultivate my 16th c. beard, although I seem to be getting fatter every episode too 😅🥺🍺 If you want to support the channel, feel free to get me a coffee over at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JayMaxwell and don’t forget to like and subscribe ☕️ #diaryofawanderingswordsman #tempusfugitives #coffee