17/11/2011
Quick Update on Art Travellers Absence
My reduced activity in the blogosphere only denotes my increased activity elsewhere (that is selling up, buying and moving home; living while eight weeks of the refurbishment goes on around us and then there’s starting a degree). I will be back when life is a bit more normal again !
24/07/2011
Art Traveller Journey 30; Around Apsley House, the home of the Dukes of Wellington.
It was a chilly wet and road crowded Sunday on the day I made my to visit Apsley House, the London home of the Dukes of Wellington.
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The House was commissioned by the 1st Earl after his victory at The Battle of Waterloo, it was built by Adam Smith in 1771 and has remained the family home of the Wellsley family ever since. It is still their home today because in the 1947 when the 7th Earl gave the house and it’s contents to the Nation, the agreement reached with the government was that the family would retain part of it as their home. Apsley House is now looked after by English Heritage.
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The large house is located next to the Queen Elizabeth Gate of Hyde Park on the wide bend around Hyde Park Corner and overlooks it’s central green area on which stands (among other monuments) the Wellington Arch (also known as Constitution Arch) and the Wellington monument.
Designed by esteemed architect Robert Adams in 1771 when it was known simply as ‘No.1 London’ and was the height of fashionable London. In 1947 the seventh Duke gave the house to the nation although the family have retained a suite of rooms (behind locked doors) and it remains their family home to this day. There is an imposing central square hall is tiled in a tiny ceramic tiles of a repeating black and white design, there are marble busts of the important men of the day depicted as ancient Romans as well as a genuine first century bust of Cicero. In the grand stairway is a twenty-foot statue Napoleon himself commissioned from Canova, of himself naked, a toga draped over one arm and he carries a staff in the other hand. Apparently he didn’t like the finished sculpture, he was embarrassed by its athleticism and had it hidden away in the basement of the Louvre from where the British Govt bought it and presented it to Wellington as a gesture of gratitude.
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From 1815 to 1852 (when the first Duke died) a grand banquet was held on the anniversary of the battle of Waterloo on the 18th June, and it always attracted large crowds lining the streets eager to see the famous invited guests. At first the banquets were restricted to thirty five guests as the dinning room could not seat more, but when Wellington had a special gallery built this increased the number to eighty five. In the dining room is an enormous painting by William Salter of one of the banquets it shows soldiers in ceremonial dress all around the table, their feathery hats and glistening sheathed swords lying on the floor behind their chairs. It was a mark of your social standing or lack of it whether you were invited to the banquet in the dining room itself or had to make do with the gallery above.
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Nothing quite prepares you for the Plate & China Room, for the eight magnificently grand floor to ceiling polished mahogany display cases; they have the cleanest glass I have ever seen. In just the top half of the first cabinet are thirty-six fine china plates, twelve of which come from Prussia (the Prussian service was a gift given after the battle of Waterloo). The plates are all hand painted with scenes connected to Wellington’s life and they are gifts of grateful nations.
There are also display cases full of soldiers batons, swords and sabres(including those Wellington used at the Battle of Waterloo, intriguingly the silver mounts of his sabre’s scabbard which were made by a Martin Guillame Biennais of Paris who also made the mounts for Napoleon’s scabbard) and shields, vases, silver and gold lacquer boxes. In the middle of the room is a large rectangular finely detailed model of ancient Egypt complete with pyramids and sphinx.
nx’s, it was actually part of Empress Josephine’s divorce settlement from Napoleon, apparently she didn’t like it. There is the 104 piece Saxon Service of hand painted Meissen china, the Austrian Service from the Empress of Austria, the 66 piece Egyptian piece, and the Portuguese Service. Just how much china does one man need !
It was fashionable at this time to present national heroes with monumental pieces of silver and the four gallon Wellington Vase designed by Tom Stoddert R.A. is truly monumental, it was paid for by subscription. One of the shields is 3 foot in diameter, its border engraved with scenes from Wellington’s battle
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s and the centre is a proud relief of charging cavalry crushing the defeated foe at Waterloo with the Duke in the centre and a winged angel hovering above crowing him with a laurel wreath
Upstairs in the Piccadilly Drawing Room with its beautiful tall yellow silk walls and deep central glass chandelier there are paintings by Dutch masters.
- Lovers with Woman Listening by Nicholas Maes.
- Landscape with Travellers by Johannes Linglebach
- Landscape with Shepherds and Catto by David Teniers
- The Holy Family and St John, by Jan Brueghel
- The Gamblers by a follower of Caravaggio
- The Musical Party by Pieter de Hooch
In the Waterloo Gallery:
- Charles 1st on Horseback by Anthony Van Dyke
- St Joseph by Guido Reni
- St Fancis of Assissi by Pablo Estaban Murillo.
01/05/2011
Art Traveller Journey 29 part 2, Around John Soane’s House
The Front Room
This large, imposing yet at the same time relaxing room overlooks Lincoln’s Inns Fields which Soane used for entertaining visitors is illuminated at either end by large windows, and as I’m soon to discover finding ways to let light is a striking feature of Soanes architecture. The walls are deep red (‘Pompeiian’ red, the colour he chose form a piece of ancient Greek pottery in his collection) works very well with the doors, glass fronted bookcase and other furniture which are all dark polished wood.
Image via Wikipedia
There is a fascinating Astronomical Clock (the Wikki image shows the clock that’s in the Lund Cathedral and the hyperlink is to the clock in the British Museum). The fabulous ceiling is compartmentalized by plaster coving, the central scene is a high coloured sentimental scene of women flying along side horses. The almost ceiling high dark wood glass pained book cupboards contain nearly two thousand leather-bound text books. Hidden above them concealed mirrors double the space by reflecting light, and in front of the bookcase on one side of the room is a row of ten elegant Chinese ‘rosewood’ gilt inlaid chairs.
The windows to the rear of this room that look on to an inner tiny courtyard contain some beautiful stained glass panels, in front of the windows are two very large inscribed Chinese vases and between them a Greek vase whose intricate base is a tablet of multi coloured ceramic pieces in tight geometric design.
A large painting catches my eye; Snake in the Grass, Joshua Reynolds PAR (President Royal Academy) 1723 – 1792 this is a portrait of a bare breasted woman. (Another example of male gaze being made acceptable by setting her in a classical pose).
The Study
I love this little room, its an accumulation and celebration of Soane’s skill, expertise in collecting classical marble artifacts, plaster casts and moulds. Part of his passion and pleasure was spending time rearranging them to their (and his student’s) best advantage. In this small space is his writing desk with a skylight above looking like a mini St Paul’s dome raised above a square glass column. In the corner is a small sink with hand pump, a clever inclusion when writing and drawing with ink and nib would have often dirty the hands, disastrous on his amazing architectural drawings.
The Picture Room
Image by joellybaby via Flickr
Soane and his wife were one of the first people to collect British art, he was a great supporter of the Dulwich Picture Gallery (pictured on the right, showing the ‘Pompeii Red’ that Soane loved) whose co-founder Francis Bourgeois commissioned him to build. In Soanes tiny but painting crowded room are many paintings by Hogarth, they are wonderfully alive, full of goings-on making lively social satire and commentary.
Image via Wikipedia
The Election: this is series of four paintings commentating on the bribery and corruption that overflowed between the Whigs and the Tories during the 1754 General Election campaign for the seat of Oxfordshire. (See the image to the right, ‘Polling’ from the series).
The Rakes Progress: images available in part one of the Art Traveller journey around Sir John Soane’s House. The celebrated series of eight paintings is Hogarth’s stark critique of the greed of the age; it tells the story of Tom Rackwell who promised marriage to his sweet but poor love Fanny but when he inherited his father’s fortune he ditched Fanny a true friend and gathered instead a pack of simpering hangers-on and lived as a libertine till his money ran out and debtors chased him, then Fanny returned and paid his debts but he ran off and married an old rich hag, he lost a second fortune and landed in The Clink the debtors prison where Fanny visited him and weeped, finally Tom ended his days chained, naked, syphilitic and mad in Bedlam hospital.
The Italian Count: by Henry Fuseli. Also known by its alternative name of ‘Ezzelier, Count of Ravenna musing over the body of Meduna slain by him for infidelity during his absence in the holy land’. It looks dark and moody and absurd, I don’t like it very much.
Downstairs
Down the short stone spiral stairway to the crypt is like stepping into a cultured Goth’s fantasy playground; the walls are bedecked in plaster casts of masks, statues stand in alcoves, there are various odd changes in floor level with single steps up and down, nooks, crannies, flickering candles (there’s a few carefully positioned down here today), sudden skylights casting lightness into the gloom.
The Victorians were fascinated with death and the paranormal, Tarot and Mesmerism parties were all the rage and Soane liked entertaining his friends down here. There would be musicians and party games, while wandering around admiring the marble busts, the two magnificent Japanese dog dragons, the prison chains, a roundel of George Frederick Handel and a large plaster eagle. Dominating this space is an enormous stone sarcophagus, this is the original three thousand year old resting place of the Egyptian Pharaoh Seti the first, it’s also open though empty and glass cased, it’s inner and outer walls are covered in amazing hieroglyph.
This is an amazing house of an amazing man, worth more visits … especially after it’s extensive renovations are completed.
SOME RESOURCES
Hogarth; www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk
The Election, The Rakes Progress; www.soane.org.uk
Dulwich Picture Gallery; www.arttraveller.wordpress.com
The Italian Count: www.bridgmanartondemand.com
Seti’s Sarcophagus: www.londonist.com
19/12/2010
Art Traveller Journey 29 part one, Around Sir John Soane’s House Museum
Image via Wikipedia
Believe the website when it tells you this museum usually has queues outside, I visited on a particularly cold late November day with heavy snow sodden skies ready to turn the town icy white and I still had to queue …. but my wait is at least not too bad and I’m pleased to avoid presumably picnic length summer queues. My other tip is more than most places I’ve been to this museum is best visited after a little preparatory reading – this blog post for instance !
After the required leaving behind of my large tote bag with the front door concierge and the optional purchase of the excellent £2 mini guide, I began my half tour (I only saw the ground and lower floors, I will do the rest another day) of this fabulous museum crammed with amazing exhibits. (the link takes you to a 360 degree panorama of the ground floor sculpture galleries). The variable light levels inside were at first a bit irritating but then I learnt that part of Sir John’s instructions to the trustees, and stipulated in the act of Parliament by which the house became a public museum, for giving visitors the most authentic experience of his house, is that the house must be kept as close as possible to the way he left it, hence candles, mirrors, large windows and skylights abound and only a few discreet description notices.
England at the time of Sir John Soane’s birth in 1753.
At this time London was the heart of England’s wealth and power and England ruled a vast Empire across the globe, thus the Regency era was one of unparalleled expansion of trade (with an Empire you don’t have to compete for trade), scientific enquiry (in this year The British Museum was founded) and the arts. The side of the river Thames was almost entirely industrialised with all commerce regulated and controlled by the Corporation of London through the Livery Companies, for instance on the river itself only Freemen of the Livery Company of Watermen and Lightermen could ferry passengers (think of them as latter day London cabbies (taxi drivers) with rowing boats instead of cabs). Women could run businesses however they could not rise to senior positions (ironic exclamation mark !). However with this increasing wealth came a vast gap between the rich and the poor, whose lives were often ragged and beggarly made worse as with no access to clean drinking water, gin and ale were drunk in huge quantities, in 1750 every sixth house in the Bloomsbury area of London sold gin and eleven million gallons was drunk in England ! The following year legislation began and within a few years the figure had been brought down to two million gallons.
Image via Wikipedia
Image via Wikipedia
The satirist William Hogarth whose Rake’s Progress hangs in Soane’s House drew great attention to the iniquitous social divisions.
On the right are just the first two of the eight large oil paintings that show the story of Tom Rakewell who inherited a fortune, became a Regency libertine and descended into destitution, debtors prison and finally syphilitic madness in Bedlam. (Apologies that the images are not in the correct order, I have tried !)
Sir John Soane
The son of a bricklayer, at fifteen he began working in te office of architect George Dance where he must have showed great promise as was entered as a student at the Royal Academy, where he would have received a very classically based education. His early and improving talent quickly brought him a travelling scholarship to Italy, following his return via Ireland he settled in East Anglia where he had a modest architectural practise. He won the prestigious contract as Architect of the Bank of England – scandalously his façade for the bank was pulled down by a later post holder. With increasing success, fame and wealth he became an associate, then full member then professor of architecture at the Royal Academy. Apart from many other projects he was the architect responsible for; the dining rooms at No 10 & 11 Downing Street and the Dulwich Picture Gallery (England’s first purpose built art gallery) – this latter fact is personally interesting as I was immediately aware that the Pompeiin Red in Soane’s House seemed very similar to the Gallery Red I saw at the Dulwich Gallery.
In 1792 he bought the house at 12 Lincoln’s Inn Fields and having rebuilt it moved in with his wife and two sons. In 1813 he bought no. 13 and in 1823 no. 14. Having now rebuilt all houses and given them an integral front facade, he rented out No. 14 just using it’s stable yard area at the back as additional space for his museum which (along with his home) spread over the other two properties. He began collecting antiquities, statues, documents, paintings, sculptures and all the other truly amazing artifacts that make up his collection, he mostly acquired things from London auction houses and house sales and constantly added or rearranged his collection. The house was kept a busy place by the presence of his architectural, painting and sculpture students from Academy whom he invited to come and study the collection. He was a sociable man and greatly enjoyed entertaining his friends especially for musical and mysterious evenings in his downstairs winding crypt with it’s pillars, crannies and nooks, sudden skylights, statues and that imposing enormous sarcophagi – that will be described in part two of this journey.
Resources
- Sir John Soane’s Museum London – A short description, Revised June 2009
- Sir John Soane’s Museum, 19.12.10 http://www.soane.org/
- Sir John Soane’s Museum Foundation, 19.12.10 http://www.soanefoundation.com/opening_soane_museum.html
- Sir John Soane’s Museum London Virtual Image Reality, British Tours Ltd, 19.12.10 http://www.britishtours.com/360/soane-museum.html
- TheDrinkShop.Com, 19.12.10 http://www.thedrinkshop.com/pages/pagetext.php?pg_name=ginhistory
- Watermen’s Hall, The Company of Watermen and Lightermen, 19.12.10 http://www.watermenshall.org/
- Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales (founder), 19.12.10 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hogarth
10/12/2010
Art Travellers Journey 28 part two; around Lord Leighton’s House
The Drawing Room
This room creates a great change of pace from the vibrancy of the hallway, happily with it’s high ceiling and large size this room is grand enough to cope with it’s sombre brown and pale gilt wallpaper and as throughout the house the panelling and doors frames are painted and carved with long stems and leaves, gold inset roundels and buds and there is a magnificent glass chandelier.
The Dining Room
With it’s emphasis on red and busyness this dining room is typically Victorian. The red wallpaper has a tight recurring diamond pattern of gilt, the floor to ceiling window doors opening onto the ornamental gardens have red velvet curtains that swirl onto and the red floor. All this Victorian redness is thankfully relieved somewhat by the patterned blue carpet (non fitted of course – they didn’t come in till the 1960′s). The room though not as over crowded (by our modern day tastes) as it would have been in Leighton’s time this room still has an interesting collection of fixtures, fittings, paintings and ornaments; for instance there is some of
Leighton’s large collection of enamel china bowls and ceramic wall plates, also a heavy dark wood dining table though not as big as one would expect and lastly there is a magnificently imposing fire place.
On the walls are some of his paintings;
- Orpheus and Eurydice, 1864, (though in searching for that link I’ve found George Watts version that I prefer, it’s stirringly full of passion and movement that Leighton’s doesn’t come close to). There is also a striking painting called
- ‘Michelangelo Nursing his Dying Servant’ in three quarter view, the servant sat in an armchair rests his head on his masters shoulder, Leighton thus appears to be saying that (his hero) Michelangelo was a good, caring and humble man – and as there is perhaps some hints of self portraiture here I wonder if he is seeking to have his audience regard him as having these qualities also.
The Moorish Hall
The Moorish end of the hallway has to be seen to be believed, a high walled square above which is a golden dome that at its apex has an area of yet further intense decoration. From this high point hangs almost thirty feet of the most decorative and fine metalwork chain holding up a magnificent coronet of lights.
Image via Wikipedia
Every inch of this space is covered in glistening Moorish Byzantine ceramic tiles and dark wood filigree shutters both high up in the walls hiding and drawing attention to yet more curious crannys, and in the centre of it all rising from the floor the water feature a single fine spout fountain.
I want to be drinking honey sweetened mint tea and wearing flowing silk robes – think Alhambra palace in your hall. (the inserted image shows an example of intricate and rich Moorish architecture).
Upstairs - I’ve not left myself much time for up here.
Bedroom; small, almost austere, plain single bed.
Studio; is a wonderful space with light flooding in through its enormous windows, his paintings, and sculptures are all around.
Image via Wikipedia
- Clytie, a fabulously dramatic image of a Greek young woman on her knees arms outspread in supplication to a wide, colourful and glorious sky which was purchased with the help of The Art Fund, is a fabulous painting.
- Corrina of Ranges
- Clytemnestra on the Battlements of Aegis, she’s watching for the beacon fires which are lit to announce the return of Agamemnon
The Silk Room, the walls are covered on it and there are lots of paintings by other artists in here:
- The Madonna of the Candelabra, Antonio Rosselino, late 15th century terracotta relief (a type of sculpture where the image projects out from a flat, or recessed, base) It was purchased with the help of The Art Fund
- Shelling Peas, John Everett Millais, 1889
- Desdamona, Lord Leighton
A few Paintings in other Locations
- Odalisque, 1860, in private collection … wonderful sensuous full length portrait of a young woman and swan
- Old Damascus, Jews Quarter, 1873, in private collection … I saw this lovely picture in the ‘Pre-Raphaelites and Italy’ exhibition in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.
- The Music Lesson, 1877, Guildhall Art Gallery … this is also lovely I saw it when I visited this Gallery as part of my Art Traveller’s project.
Links
Lord Leighton’s House, main web site
Lord Leighton’s House, resources page
17/11/2010
Art Traveller Journey 28 part 1; Around Lord Leighton’s House
Image by Gwynhafyr via Flickr
In a select leafy and quiet area of London, on a road where almost all the houses are hidden behind high walls and higher trees I get the unmistakeable feeling that I’m walking down Quality Street and that the house I’ve come to visit is going to be a masterclass.
I’m not wrong, my overall impression is of quiet green leaves, imposing red bricks and deep blue mosaic tiles, it is a truly stunning house and into this oasis I am welcomed by the staff and given free admission because of my Art Fund membership card.
The Hallway
This many pillared central hallway is both cooling and calming, it gives the impression of being a luxurious oasis designed for rest and philosophy. What I mean is, without intending to be prosaic, this hall appears to rest the mind while engage the brain; the colours and tones are contemplative while its patterns and intricacies are stimulating and intellectual.
By my very rough estimate this hallway (not including the Arab Hall extension, more of that in part two of this journey) is fifteen feet wide and thirty-five feet long. The floor is made of tiny mosaic tiles designed with scrolling tendrils of greenery, the walls are highly polished azure blue tiles deeply and variously shaded, and against one wall an imposing dark wood staircase There are also various carefully selected objets d’art on display; under the staircase is a statue of a Greek God I think, and many Japanese vases beside one of these is large very regal peacock (of the stuffed variety) it stands on the back of a two-seater settee which sits in the alcove created by the first corner of the stairs. Even the pillars and statues, small not overpowering beautifully melt into & complement the overall design.
Image via Wikipedia
Now I’m off to do some research on Fred …
Frederick Leighton 1830 to 1896 was born into a wealthy medical family in Scarborough, his father was a doctor and his grandfather had made the family’s fortune by being the physician to the Russian Royal family in St Petersburg. Although Leighton’s father paid him an allowance throughout his life and had helped his son to study art he did not like it as career choice, unless his son were to excel at it … which of course he did.
Frederick gained his general education at University College London before heading off to Italy to study art. During his time in Europe he also stayed in Paris where he met the artists Ingres, Delacroix, Corot and Millet and when he came back to London he met and became friends with the Pre Raphaelite artists.
Image via Wikipedia
Leighton’s art is very fine and classical, so fine his brush strokes are almost invisible and so classical he became a leader of Classicism in Britain, whose view of the human figure in art was that they should reflect the perfection of classical statues of antiquity (a view that was diametrically opposite to that held by his friends the PRB’s).
The painting on the right is called Flaming June, I think it’s fabulous and it’s his most famous and last work, done in 1895.
Link: ArtMagic website for a collection of large thumbnail images and bibliography.
He lived life at an amazing rate and as for success well he was feted from his first sale – which was to Queen Victoria. He travelled extensively in Great Briton, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, returning again and again to Italy, France, and particularly Spain and many Muslim countries from where he collected art and ideas. He created business partnerships so he had agents in various countries whom he trusted to collect artifacts for him and ship them to his new London home being built to magnificently display and celebrate his collection. The result of so much work, travelling and success was that he was elected into the Royal Academy, where he was a respected teacher for many years and eventually rose to become its president until ill-health forced him to cut back on his hyperactive lifestyle at which point his friend Sir Everett Millais (previously a leading PRB) took over from him. He became the first artist to be made a Peer but he died the next day, making his the shortest peerage on record, he lay in state at The Royal Academy before being buried at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Back to Lord Leighton’s House
The Study
In a side room off the central section of the hallway is the study with it’s connecting double doors giving on to the vestibule area (where the ticket desk now stands) – making a classically imposing barrier between the two areas is another beautiful statue Icarus I think – it’s nude and has wings (I really need to know more about this subject !). In here there are paintings and drawings all around; stacked on the floor, hung on the walls and piled on chairs. Having just been to The Red House I make a moderately educated guess that the curtains are a William Morris design. On the desk are various items of Leighton’s correspondence; telegrams, letters, studies for paintings.
The Drawing Room
On the opposite side of the hall is the carpeted yet creaking Drawing Room and in here I find an amazing ornate marquetry table it’s inlaid design depicting sea gods and sea creatures that seem to be floating in a bubble with a sailing ship nearby. Although the inlay is badly damaged with cracks and piece missing the table is still a magnificent piece of furniture. In the large bay window hang lace nets and decorative bunched curtains, and on the ceiling in a gilt banded orb is a soft though distinct painting; the description tells me that its actually a copy done in 1987 for the restoration, the original however was itself also a copy of another painting, one by Eugene Delacrois; Study for La Paixvient Consoler Les Hommes 1849 – 54.
More coming soon in part two of this journey ….
Web Links
Lord Leighton’s House the home page for the house, including a link to their amazing interactive display of the house – that is worth a look, really.
Learning Resources Page buried in the above site is a wonderful collection of information, but it takes a bit of digging to find it (I have emailed them my thoughts)
