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| Treasures belonging to Wallace Collection's founder go on display | Treasures belonging to Wallace Collection's founder go on display |
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| The treasures collected by the illegitimate son of an English aristocrat, who married a Parisian perfume seller, inherited a fortune and then had to fight a cousin in court to keep it, have gone on display in a new gallery at the Wallace Collection dedicated to the museum’s founder, Sir Richard Wallace. | The treasures collected by the illegitimate son of an English aristocrat, who married a Parisian perfume seller, inherited a fortune and then had to fight a cousin in court to keep it, have gone on display in a new gallery at the Wallace Collection dedicated to the museum’s founder, Sir Richard Wallace. |
| They include Renaissance bronzes, a pendant with a pearl the size of a walnut, a bell once owned by an Irish saint from which childless women drank to ensure safe pregnancies and a hunting horn claimed to have belonged to Saint Hubert. Two of only four in the world golden wine cups made for a Chinese emperor and a unique Asante gold head – which may be a portrait of a leader killed in battle whose real head was taken as a trophy – also form part of the collection. | They include Renaissance bronzes, a pendant with a pearl the size of a walnut, a bell once owned by an Irish saint from which childless women drank to ensure safe pregnancies and a hunting horn claimed to have belonged to Saint Hubert. Two of only four in the world golden wine cups made for a Chinese emperor and a unique Asante gold head – which may be a portrait of a leader killed in battle whose real head was taken as a trophy – also form part of the collection. |
| “In variety, in value and in quality this was unquestionably the greatest gift ever made to the nation,” said Xavier Bray, director of the museum who laid a rose last week on Wallace’s grave in Paris. “It far outweighs others by his contemporaries such as the Waddesdon Bequest to the British Museum.” | “In variety, in value and in quality this was unquestionably the greatest gift ever made to the nation,” said Xavier Bray, director of the museum who laid a rose last week on Wallace’s grave in Paris. “It far outweighs others by his contemporaries such as the Waddesdon Bequest to the British Museum.” |
| Bray said the exhibition, in the new £1.2m gallery which the museum has tunnelled out from its basement and former coal cellars, had exposed gaping holes in what was actually known about Wallace. | Bray said the exhibition, in the new £1.2m gallery which the museum has tunnelled out from its basement and former coal cellars, had exposed gaping holes in what was actually known about Wallace. |
| His philanthropy, his collecting (he bought the Asante gold from Garrard, the crown jewellers), the number of times he outbid his even wealthier rival Ferdinand de Rothschild and the palatial museum in a former private mansion, were all famous in his lifetime. Before the museum was complete, he exhibited the collection free in one of the poorest parts of London’s East End, attracting 2.3 million people – contemporary images show labourers in rough work clothes mingling with society ladies. | His philanthropy, his collecting (he bought the Asante gold from Garrard, the crown jewellers), the number of times he outbid his even wealthier rival Ferdinand de Rothschild and the palatial museum in a former private mansion, were all famous in his lifetime. Before the museum was complete, he exhibited the collection free in one of the poorest parts of London’s East End, attracting 2.3 million people – contemporary images show labourers in rough work clothes mingling with society ladies. |
| However almost nothing is known about his real parentage, or the background of his remarkable French wife, whom he married after they already had a son. | However almost nothing is known about his real parentage, or the background of his remarkable French wife, whom he married after they already had a son. |
| His birth was registered in 1818 as Richard Jackson, understood to be the surname of his mother Agnes. When he was only six she brought him to Paris and left him – “dumped him” was Bray’s phrase – with the third Marchioness of Hertford, mother of Richard Seymour-Conway, the future fourth Marquess. The researchers assume he must have been Agnes and Richard’s son, but though the wealthy family raised and educated him, and he became secretary and agent to the Marquess, his parentage was never acknowledged. | His birth was registered in 1818 as Richard Jackson, understood to be the surname of his mother Agnes. When he was only six she brought him to Paris and left him – “dumped him” was Bray’s phrase – with the third Marchioness of Hertford, mother of Richard Seymour-Conway, the future fourth Marquess. The researchers assume he must have been Agnes and Richard’s son, but though the wealthy family raised and educated him, and he became secretary and agent to the Marquess, his parentage was never acknowledged. |
| When the Seymour-Conway died, he left a legendary collection of spectacular furniture and works of art to his presumed son, together with property and money, but the title went to a cousin who tried but failed to overturn the will. Wallace then bought back one of the family mansions as a suitable home for the collection, and when he died his widow left the palatial house, crammed with works of art, tapestry, ornate furniture, ceramics and armour, as a collection which could not be sold or loaned, housed in a new national museum. Bray said the bequest was a blow to the National Gallery, which had held back on buying French 18th century art assuming it would eventually get the Hertford collection. | When the Seymour-Conway died, he left a legendary collection of spectacular furniture and works of art to his presumed son, together with property and money, but the title went to a cousin who tried but failed to overturn the will. Wallace then bought back one of the family mansions as a suitable home for the collection, and when he died his widow left the palatial house, crammed with works of art, tapestry, ornate furniture, ceramics and armour, as a collection which could not be sold or loaned, housed in a new national museum. Bray said the bequest was a blow to the National Gallery, which had held back on buying French 18th century art assuming it would eventually get the Hertford collection. |
| All the pieces in the new gallery have been on display in the museum, but in such ornate treasure stuffed rooms that they were almost invisible. Bray said the purpose was not just to mark the 200th anniversary of its founder’s birth, but also to display his very distinctive taste in collecting. | All the pieces in the new gallery have been on display in the museum, but in such ornate treasure stuffed rooms that they were almost invisible. Bray said the purpose was not just to mark the 200th anniversary of its founder’s birth, but also to display his very distinctive taste in collecting. |
| “The fourth Marquess liked very showy elaborate decorative mainly 18th century art, in immaculate condition. Richard’s taste was far broader and more eclectic – and I think more interesting. We are honouring him in making his treasures properly visible for the first time.” | “The fourth Marquess liked very showy elaborate decorative mainly 18th century art, in immaculate condition. Richard’s taste was far broader and more eclectic – and I think more interesting. We are honouring him in making his treasures properly visible for the first time.” |
| Sir Richard Wallace: The Collector at the Wallace Collection, London, until 6 January 2019; entry is free | Sir Richard Wallace: The Collector at the Wallace Collection, London, until 6 January 2019; entry is free |
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