The Wallace Collection Manchester Square London W1U 3BN
Opening Hours: Daily, 10am – 5pm.
Tucked behind Selfridges, in the leafy Manchester Square, stands the beautiful Hertford House; home to the Wallace Collection. Generations of Marquises’ of Hertford – dedicated collectors of European art – ensured that this Collection is as varied as it is magnificent.
Paintings by Rembrandt, Turner, Watteau, Titian, Reynolds, Boucher and Poussin, objects d’art, Sèvres porcelain, Renaissance and Baroque bronzes, and Boulle marquetry furniture, all occupy their own spaces within this sumptuous town house.
Far from gathering dust in shady cases, works are displayed as though in a home –which they are. Upon arrival, visitors are greeted by the bust of Sir Richard Wallace, the illegitimate son of the fourth Marquess, who displayed the collection he inherited at Herford House. His widow, Lady Wallace, left the collection to the public in 1879, on the proviso that it should remain where it was, as it was: no art works can be bought or sold, lent or borrowed.
This lends an intimate feeling to the Collection; indeed you might find yourself picking which room you’d best like to live in. In this cosy yet opulent setting are real gems: Poussin’s Dance to the Music of Time, Boucher’s portrait of Madame de Pompadour, Hal’s The Laughing Cavalier and Fragonard’s The Swing to name but a few. And that is without so much as mentioning the sculpture, furniture, the ceramics and the armour.
Each room has its own distinct ambience, whether it be the delicate luxury of Rococo furniture and snuff boxes or the slightly creepy suits of armour. The latter appear to be particularly appealing to small boys who are enraptured by the idea that knights once wore them. However, they also emit a sense of safety, as I found when I spent a long time sitting there after the 7/7 bombings.
The Wallace Collection’s convenient west end location makes popping in to see a favourite work an easy pleasure. And, despite the strict conditions imposed upon the collection, developments have been made to the gallery that make it well worth re-visiting. The Centenary Project in 2000 saw the opening of new basement galleries, which have seen exhibitions by the likes of Lucien Freud, Marc Quinn and, most controversially, Damien Hirst. While the courtyard has been covered with a glass roof, and is now a delightful restaurant.
Visit and you will see that the Wallace Collection stands for change as much as continuity.
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