I went to visit one of my favorite museums in London, the Wallace Collection. Comprising 5,500 works collected by one family over five generations in the 18th and 19th centuries, the collection has something for everyone (unless, of course, you only like 20th century art). You name an artist, they have something by that artist, and often many somethings. Titian, Rubens, Hals, Rembrandt, Delacroix, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Van Dyck, Canaletto, Fragonard, Boucher, Velazquez, Murillo, and that is just a fraction. Their collection of French art is particularly strong, as is their Dutch art, their miniatures, and Medieval and Renaissance art. And if painting is not your thing, they have furniture (mostly 18th century French), porcelain (especially Sevres), sculpture, snuff boxes, and 4 of their 25 galleries are devoted to their large collection of arms and armour.

The entire collection was bequeathed to the nation in 1897 and opened to the public in 1900. These works can only be seen here, as the bequest stipulated that no object can leave the collection, even as a loan to another museum. That must also mean that nothing can be sold either.

I have a couple of favorites. Frans Hals' The Laughing Cavalier and Fragonard's The Swing are the two that immediately come to mind.

They have redone the galleries in the nine years since I last visited, and they have moved things around. It seems that the rooms are now organized more by country, So all of the British artists are in one or two rooms, French in other rooms, Dutch in others. I get that. It makes sense. But The Swing was in a different room than before (I had trouble even finding it) and it is now displayed in the Oval Drawing Room with other French paintings. I don't like its placement next to two much larger paintings that seem to dwarf it. It looked so much smaller than I remembered. In the photo below it is the second painting on the right.

This time I tried to notice and appreciate things I would typically avoid. Like this French armchair and this other piece. I can't say I like them any better, however.

And, what a surprise, they have a Rembrandt self-portrait (plus five other Rembrandts).

Here is a peak at some of the other pieces in the collection.

The Great Gallery

I first came to the Wallace Collection 20 years ago with my then young daughters. I remember being impressed by their children's activity guide, one of the few museums at that time that had anything to engage children. I asked them if they still had one. Of course they do, but it's now a downloadable app for your phone and it's an interactive game where you collect virtual objects, crack puzzles, and solve a mystery. Part of me is sad about this. I like technology, probably too much, but I wonder what effect this is having. Will children know how to do anything without their gadgets? Okay, now I sound like an old person. I should just be glad that they are bringing their children to the museum. And I'm sure if we had had that app 20 years ago we would have downloaded it too.


Today's readings (from London Stories): James Lackington's "Love Among the Methodists" (1792) and Samuel Whyte's "A Visit to Charlotte Cibber" (1795)