Today I'm writing about one of my favorite places in London -- Kenwood House. I first visited many years ago and feasted my eyes on the stunning collection of masterworks in the Iveagh Bequest and on the justly famous Adam Library. But I admit, the the rooms used as galleries, were -- aside from the paintings -- quite bland. So I was delighted a few years ago to hear that the whole house was to be renovated and restored to the period, when the 1st Earl of Mansfield purchased the structure and had Robert Adam remodel it in 1764-1779.
A special bonus for me was the traveling exhibition of most of the Iveagh Bequest paintings in the U.S. in 2013-14, including at the Milwaukee Art Museum which I was able to visit several times. Unless otherwise indicated, the pictures in this post were taken by me in August, 2014. Then, in advance of leading our Duke of Wellington Tour in a few days, Kristine Hughes and I were actually there in the refurbished Kenwood House and free to enjoy it at our leisure. And when I say free, I mean it. When Lord Iveagh, one of the heirs of the Guinness Brewery fortune, bequeathed Kenwood and his incredible art collection to the nation in 1927, he specified that his collection should be exhibited free to one and all. The renovations cost about £5.95 million, so don't be surprised that they have a good-will offering suggestion! Before we got to the greatest of the artworks or the newly-refurbished library, we stopped to examine an Adam fireplace and the handsome staircase.
The library as it was when I first saw it, was certainly a room justly famous as representative of the work of the famous architect and designer Robert Adam. However, as it once appeared, left below in a file photo, the red carpeting overwhelmed the delicacy of the ceiling and wall decoration. At the right, see how the restoration restored the colors of the ceiling to their original hues. When you look at the restored version, you realize the former decor was rather gaudy, too much so for authentic Adam.
Above, left, the newer ceiling decor; right, the entrance to the library. Below, Left, Lord Mansfield above the fireplace (more about him later), right, a classic Adam touch, a mirrored alcove to reflect the light.
In the dining room the deep red walls are appropriate to the decor and the brilliant art, not to mention the chandelier (right). The painting above the fireplace is by Anthony Van Dyke, Princess Henrietta of Lorraine Attended by a Page.
Elsewhere in the Dining Room are two priceless masterpieces: left, Rembrandt van Rijn, Portrait of the Artist, and on the right, Johannes Vermeer, The Guitar Player.
Elsewhere in the Dining Room are two priceless masterpieces: left, Rembrandt van Rijn, Portrait of the Artist, and on the right, Johannes Vermeer, The Guitar Player.
The furniture is certainly equal to the paintings and the setting: a handsome sidetable, left; on the right, Edwin Landseer, The Hon. E. S. Russell and His Brother, 1834. Children love this painting of the boys on their ponies with their dogs. Below, a portrait of William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, by David Martin, 1775, hangs in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. A copy hangs in Kenwood (see above). At the right, a double portrait of Elizabeth Murray and Dido Bell, cousins, once attributed to Johann Zoffany, but currently unattributed; the version hanging at Kenwood is a copy of the original, which can be seen in Scone Palace, Perthshire, Scotland. This painting of Lord Mansfield's wards has long fascinated art experts and social commentators. Dido Bell was the subject of a 2013 film exploring her life and times.
Lord Mansfield was the Lord Chief Justice of Britain and authored the decision that slaves who entered Britain were no longer subject to the orders of their former masters. For this and other important judicial rulings, he was made the 1st Earl of Mansfield.
Lord Mansfield was the Lord Chief Justice of Britain and authored the decision that slaves who entered Britain were no longer subject to the orders of their former masters. For this and other important judicial rulings, he was made the 1st Earl of Mansfield.
Left. Angelica Kauffman, RA, The Disarming of Cupid. Kauffman was an excellent painter and did many Georgian interior medallions and other paintings -- and is, in my opinion, quite underrated. Right, a Carlton House Desk; the original was supposedly designed for the Prince of Wales by George Hepplewhite; These were very popular and are found in many country houses in England.
Most of the Old Master paintings in the house are part of the Iveagh Bequest. Lord Iveagh purchased Kenwood to house his substantial collection and bequeathed it to the nation in 1927. Sadly, he passed away before the installation was complete. Below, the Music Room on the left and on the right, Miss Murray by Sir Thomas Lawrence, painted 1824-26.
Most of the Old Master paintings in the house are part of the Iveagh Bequest. Lord Iveagh purchased Kenwood to house his substantial collection and bequeathed it to the nation in 1927. Sadly, he passed away before the installation was complete. Below, the Music Room on the left and on the right, Miss Murray by Sir Thomas Lawrence, painted 1824-26.
Above, left, John Hoppner, Mrs. Jordan as Viola from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, c.1785-92; right, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Kitty Fisher as Cleopatra Dissolving the Pearl, 1759.
Below, left, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Mrs. Musters as "Hebe", 1782. Another version of this work can be seen in the staircase of Highclere Castle, sometimes in evidence in scenes from Downton Abbey. Right, Sir Joshua Reynolds, The Brummell Children, 1782
Below, left, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Mrs. Musters as "Hebe", 1782. Another version of this work can be seen in the staircase of Highclere Castle, sometimes in evidence in scenes from Downton Abbey. Right, Sir Joshua Reynolds, The Brummell Children, 1782
Above, left, Main Entrance of Kenwood House; right, the Dairy on the grounds. Below, left, walking the paths; left, the view of London from Hampstead Heath.
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