Tucked away in a corner of Manchester Square in Marylebone is the Wallace Collection, one of London’s most treasured museums. As one of Britain’s preeminent cultural institutions, the Wallace Collection is home to one of the most significant ensembles of fine and decorative arts in the world. Highlights include oil paintings from the fourteenth to the late nineteenth centuries by artists such as Titian, Velazquez, Rubens and Van Dyck and one of the finest collections of eighteenth century French paintings and decorative arts.
Once home to Sir Richard Wallace the collection is a home turned museum showcasing his beautiful art collection. Hertford House which houses the Wallace Collection is a mansion on the corner of Manchester Square and was originally built for the 4th Duke of Manchester around 1776 as the location was good for duck shooting. The collection is renowned for its outstanding Old Master paintings which include The Laughing Cavalier, A Dance to the Music of Time by Poussin and Fragonard’s The Swing along with 18th century French furniture and porcelain.
The supposed illegitimate son of the Fourth Marquess of Hertford, Sir Richard Wallace was an English art collector who unexpectedly inherited the Marquess’s dazzling collection of art. A major international philanthropist and cultural luminary of his time, yet also an enigmatic and private individual, Sir Richard believed in sharing his inheritance with a wider audience. He was also a prominent collector, adding extensively to the Collection prior to his death in 1890.
“Highlights include oil paintings from the fourteenth to the late nineteenth centuries... and one of the finest collections of eighteenth century French paintings”
Wallace expanded his father’s collection and his widow donated the Wallace Collection to the nation in 1897. Both the 3rd and 4th Marquesses of Hertford, have long been celebrated for their acquisitions. At twenty-four, Wallace became one of the agents for the 4th Marquess, acting on his behalf in sales and travelling in pursuit of works of art. Sir Richard Wallace, made his own distinctive contribution to the collection that he inherited and also ensured that it would be enjoyed by the public in their millions. In 1897, on the death of Lady Wallace, the collections displayed at Hertford House were left to the British nation, a total of 5,637 objects.
Wallace differed from the 3rd and 4th Marquesses with his passion for medieval and Renaissance works of art, which included everything from ivories and enamels to Venetian glass. He had a particular interest for European arms and armour and formed one of the richest collection of armour in Britain. Wallace’s tastes were eclectic. As well as 17th-century Dutch painting and contemporary French art, he acquired anything from quaint wax portraits to 15th-century Italian paintings, drawings and illuminated manuscripts.
“As one of Britain’s preeminent cultural institutions, the Wallace Collection is home to one of the most significant ensembles of fine and decorative arts in the world”
The Wallace Collection has always been one of my favourite museums in London to visit, it feels more like a stroll through a stately home rather than a visit to a museum. I was lucky enough to be granted afterhours access to the museum. Each of the rooms is breathtakingly beautiful in its colourful splendour and every one devotes itself to a theme, for example the smoking room exhibits works of art from the medieval and Renaissance period. It is where Sir Richard Wallace used to entertain his male guests after dinner. The building itself is a historical monument which should be appreciated alongside its beautiful display of artwork.
The Wallace Collection has had an enormous impact on the art world. Back in 1873 a young Vincent Van Gogh was working in London and visited an exhibition from the Wallace Collection which was displayed at Bethnal Green. Later Van Gogh would write to his brother about some of the artwork he was most inspired by such as ‘The Forest of Fontainbleau: Morning’ by Theodore Rousseau. A testament to the importance of the collection to the wider field of art.
Whether you are a serious art aficionado or simply looking for a pleasant way to spend an afternoon, a visit to the Wallace Collection is a wonderful trip to make.
You can find out more about The Wallace Collection by visiting Hertford House, Manchester Square or at https://www.wallacecollection.org/
