Baroness Orczy once wrote of a noble English nob who helped French nobs escape the guillotine during the Reign of Terror. Her Scarlet Pimpernel was not at all inspired by the real life Sir Richard Wallace who, during the Revolution, appeared in France armed with bags of spare change and, instead, helped himself to their extensive art collections.
Impecunious revolutionaries, having brought down the monarchy and looted the chateaus, were so dazzled by any money, that Sir Richard was able to build one of the finest collections in the world, with which to decorate his London home, and all for a song. Empire at its finest, or no honour amongst thieves, depending on one’s point of view.
Now a Marylebone museum, the house boasts a superb hoard of Cannalettos, Titians, Bouchers etc. including two of the most famous paintings on the planet, Fragonard’s The Swing and Hals’ Laughing Cavalier. Sir Richard even managed to trouser Marie Antionette’s personal Sèvres porcelain toilette set, her Sèvres dining set, her furniture etc.
The Wallace Collection is currently hosting a separate (and FREE!!) Caravaggio exhibition featuring the artist’s exquisite Amor Vincit Omnia (Love Conquers All), a ridiculously saucy & homoerotic representation (said to be modelled on the artist’s own lover) of everyone’s favourite anthropomorphised deity, on loan from the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin. To cap it off it’s shown with the two Roman sculptures original owner, Marchese Giustiniani, displayed with it 400 years ago, in his private home; a grand palazzo in Rome. Oh, to be rich and idle back in the day.
Coincidentally in London, albeit briefly, it would have been rude to not catch this treat whilst here after which I hung around to enjoy the permanent exhibits. And if you, dear cultured friend, are currently or about to be in London, it is showing until April 12th.
Coincidentally in London, albeit briefly, it would have been rude to not catch this treat whilst here after which I hung around to enjoy the permanent exhibits. And if you are currently or about to be in London, and fancy a bit of kulcha, it is showing until April 12th.
