Archive for the ‘Museum’ Category
Richard Boyle, Third Earl of Burlington (1694-1753)
The Third Earl inherited the title and estates at the age of eleven after the death of his father, and by the age of 20 was a well established Whig aristocrat from the north of England.
He developed an interest in architecture and took a Grand Tour in 1719 to study the works of Palladio, armed with the reference books of Inigo Jones which he used for reference and note taking. Burlington was well-travelled. In all he took three Grand Tours between 1714-19 and other trips to Paris.
On his return he appointed Colen Campbell, the other god father of the Palladian movement, to work on his London home in Piccadilly, Burlington House, now the home of the Royal Academy of Art.
By the mid 1720’s he had a new protegé in William Kent (1685-1748), a fellow Yorkshireman who he had met in Italy in 1719. Kent, initially a painter, lived at Burlington House. Kent was also asked to edit Burlington’s pet project, the publication of The Designs of Inigo Jones.
Burlington, an architect in his own right and often referred to as ‘the architect Earl‘, and ‘The Apollo of the Arts‘, for he was also a lover of music. He had Georg Frederic Handel dedicate two works to him whilst staying at Burlington House, and In 1719, was one of main subscribers in the Royal Academy of Music, which produced baroque opera for stage.
Westminster School dormitory
He was designer of some of the earliest and most important Palladian buildings including a Villa at Tottenham Park, Wiltshire (1721), a House for General Wade in Great Burlington Street, London (1723) and the New Assembly rooms in York (1731-2), and the Dormitory at Westminster School, London (1722 – 1730), the first public work by Burlington, for which Sir Christopher Wren had provided a design, which was rejected in favor of Burlington’s, a sign of changing English taste.
Chiswick House
He also built another home of his own, Chiswick House, Middlesex. His architectural drawings, inherited by his son-in-law the Duke of Devonshire are preserved at Chatsworth, and enable attributions that would not otherwise be possible.
York Assembly Rooms
After the Assembly Rooms in York he designed few other buildings, and by 1740 was a semi-recluse living between Chiswick and Yorkshire. The Palladian Style he was ‘godfather’ of was however to flourish for many decades to come.
Wedgwood Urns
Josiah Wedgewood
Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795) established the famous pottery that is his namesake in 1759. He is credited with the industrialising the manufacture of pottery, and instigating many industry innovations. He was also a shrewd businessman who recognised the growing demand for luxury goods that came with the new wealth that came with industrialisation, and was able to identify specific opportunities such as those associated with the great interest in archeology and the collecting or antiquities from the ancient world, much fueled by the European Grand tours by the British gentry.
He was able to satisfy the great demand for replicas of these artifacts. The main themes on the company’s jasperware have all been taken from ancient mythologies: Roman, Greek or Egyptian. An example of this was Wedgwood’s obsession with the idea of duplicating the Portland Vase, a blue and white glass vase dating to the first century BC. For three years he worked on the project, eventually producing what he considered a satisfactory copy in 1789.
The Portland Vase is also an iconic object the acquisition of antiquities fueled by the Grand Tour. The Roman cameo glass vase, currently dated to between 5 and 25 CE is about 25 centimeters high and 56 in circumference. It is made of violet-blue glass, and surrounded with a single continuous white glass cameo.
Original Vase (Front and Back)
Sir William Hamilton, British ambassador in Naples, purchased it in 1778 from James Byres, a Scottish art dealer who had acquired it after it was sold by Donna Cornelia Barberini-Colonna, Princess of Palestrina. She had inherited the vase from the Barberini family. Hamilton, with the assistance of his niece, Mary, arranged a private sale to Margaret Cavendish-Harley, widow of William Bentinck, 2nd Duke of Portland, so dowager Duchess of Portland. She passed it to her son William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland in 1786.
Portland Vase (Wedgwood Replica)
The 3rd Duke lent the original vase to Josiah Wedgwood to be copied, and then to the British Museum, at which point it it became known as the “Portland Vase”. It was deposited there permanently by the fourth Duke in 1810, after a friend of his broke its base. It has remained in the British Museum ever since, apart from three years (1929-32) when William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland put it up for sale at Christie’s. It failed to reach its reserve and was subsequently purchased by the British Museum from William Cavendish-Bentinck, 7th Duke of Portland in 1945 with the aid of a bequest from James Rose Vallentin.
Today the original Portland Vase can still be seen in the British Museum, and is included as a stop on the London Grand Tour. Follow the link for tour reservations.
Banqueting House
Banqueting House
The Banqueting House is the only remaining complete building of Whitehall Palace and remains one of London’s most important banqueting venues. It plays host to many royal and society events.
Inigo Jones
Whitehall Palace was the principal royal residence between 1530 and 1698, and the Banqueting House dates from 1622. It was designed and built by Inigo Jones for James I (1603-25) to host occasions of state, plays and masques. At the time of its building it was one of the first classical buildings in Britain, surrounded by red-brick Tudor buildings.
The site upon which the Banqueting House was built had stood York Place, the London residence of the Archbishops of York since the 14th century. It’s proximity to the king’s residence was a sign of the importance of the archbishopric of York, the most important in the Church.
Thomas Wolsey
In 1514 Thomas Wolsey (c.1475-1530) was made Archbishop of York and had an unparralleled position of trust with King Henry VIII (1509-47). York Place became a favourite place for the king to visit. The King was later to own it, when he his relationship with Wolsey failed and Henry stripped him of all his properties in the South of England. It was renamed Whitehall and became a residence of the King.
Henry VIII
By the time of Henry’s death the palace was the largest in Europe, but it was far more than just a residence. Within the grounds temporary structures were also built for special occasions. The largest of these was a banqueting house built by Queen Elizabeth I (1553-1603) to host entertainments associated with her marriage negotiations. This building occupied the site of the current banqueting house.
The initial structure of timber and canvas stood for 25 years before being replaced by a brick structure which was completed in 1609 for james I. It was built for the performance of elaborate masque performances; a cross between a ball, an amateur theatrical, a play and a fancy dress party, designed to communicate messages of royal authority.
Set Design Coelum Britannicum
Inigo Jones was a set designer and scene painter of such masques, and later became an architect after his Grand Tours of Europe. He worked closely with his partner and playwright Ben Jonson who had also spent time abroad. Jones’s travels inspired the classical sets he designed for the Masques, the finest example being of the masque Coelum Britannicum, performed on Shrove Tuesday 1634.
Inigo Jones, Banquesting House
By this time a third structure stood on the site, the current Banqueting House, which has been designed and built by Jones in 1622 after the previous structure had been destroyed by fire in 1619. His design was based on an ancient form of building that most closely resembled the usage of the banqueting house, a basilica (an ancient Roman meeting hall). The Roman architect Vitruvius stipulated that a basilica should be twice as long as it is wide, which the banqueting House is. The structure was also raised on a vaulted basement.
The work began in 1619 and was completed in 1622 at a cost of £15,618 14s. By 1635 its use as a venue for masques ended due to concern about the damage smoke may do to the ceiling painting by Rubens. The painting meant the building could not be used for its original purpose. But from this point on it was a venue for important receptions.
Execution of Charles I
The Banqueting House was also the venue of a more dark and sinister event in 1649. After years of struggle between the authority of Parliament and the power of the King there was a Civil War (1642-9), during which Charles I was found guilty of treason and sentenced to death. His execution took place on a scaffold erected in front of the banqueting House.
For some time after the execution the banqueting House was not in use. But, in 1654 it became the Lord Protector’ hall of audience. In that year Oliver Cromwell had become Head of State as Lord Protector. After Cromwell’s death in Whitehall (1658), the house was again unused until 1660 when the monarchy was restored. It was then restored for use as a ceremonial court chamber and reception venue.
One of the ceremonies carried out here was the distribution of bread, fish, wine, cloth and money on Maundy Thursday. It also included a traditional washing of the feet of the poor by the sovereign. The tradition of distributing Maundy money continues, taking place at a number of cathedral venues.
Ceiling Painting by Paul Rubens
A highlight of the building is the ceiling painting by Paul Rubens. It was commissioned by Charles I (1625-49), to celebrate the life and wise government of his farther James I. They were installed in March 1636 after being shipped from Antwerp where Rubens had painted them in his studio. Some sketches of the scenes that date from his visit to London (1629-30) are now in the National Gallery.
Banquesting House is visited on the London Grand Tour. Follow the link to make a tour reservation
London Grand Tour 