London - Wallace Collection
The Wallace Collection, one of the most valuable art collections ever presented to the nation by a private person, is housed in 25 galleries of a mansion built for the Duke of Manchester in 1776-88 which, in spite of much subsequent alteration, still gives an excellent impression of the appearance of a great town house of the period. The basis of the collection was laid by the third and fourth Marquesses of Hertford.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
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The son of the fourth Marquess, Sir Richard Wallace, added to the collection, which was bequeathed to the nation by his widow and opened to the public in 1900. Since then nothing has been changed, for it was a condition of the bequest that the collection should be kept intact, "unmixed with other objects of art". The collection contains an extraordinarily wide range of works of the highest quality in many different genres. Many of the rooms have pieces by the celebrated French furniture designers Boulle (1642-1732), Cressent (1685-1768) and Riesener (1734-1806).
Things to See
Wallace Collection Tour
Rooms 1 & 2
French furniture by Boulle; Sèvres porcelain; paintings by Lawrence ("George IV", "Countess of Blessington").
Rooms 3 & 4
Italian majolica of the Renaissance period, including Giorgio Andreoli's "Bath of the Maidens"; alabaster reliefs; paintings by Clouet and Foppa; 15th and 17th century bronzes, etc.
Rooms 5 -8
European arms and armor of the 15th century onwards; other European arms and Oriental arms and armour.
Room 11
Furniture by Boulle and others; paintings by Rubens.
Room 12
Sèvres porcelain; furniture by Riesener; religious paintings by Murillo; 18th century decorated boxes.
Rooms 13 & 14
Furniture by Cressent; views of Venice by Canaletto and Guardi; Sèvres porcelain.
Rooms 15 - 19
17th century Dutch and Flemish masters, including Rubens ("The Holy Family", "Isabella Brandt", "Landscape with Rainbow"), Rembrandt ("The Good Samaritan"), van der Meer, van Noort, Cornelis de Vos, Brouwer, Metsu, Jan Steen, Terborch, von Cuyp, van Ostade, Ruisdael, van de Velde, Frans Hals ("The Laughing Cavalier"), van Dyck ("Portrait of King Philip and his Wife"). Also Murillo (religious subjects), Velázquez ("Lady with a Fan"), Titian ("Perseus and Andromeda"), Rosa ("Landscape with Apollo and the Sybils"), Reynolds, Gainsborough ("Mrs Robinson"), Philippe de Champaigne (religious subjects).
Rooms 20 & 21
Miniatures; furniture by Cressent and Riesener; paintings including examples by Fragonard, Watteau ("Resting from the Hunt", "Lady at her Toilet"), Holbein (portrait of von Horenbout).
Rooms 22 - 24
Furniture by Cressent, Riesener and Boulle; paintings by Reynolds and others.
Room 25
Furniture by Riesener; decorated boxes; paintings, including examples by Vigée-Le Brun ("Comte d'Espagnac"), Nattier, Greuze ("Mademoiselle Sophie Arnould"), Fragonard.
French furniture by Boulle; Sèvres porcelain; paintings by Lawrence ("George IV", "Countess of Blessington").
Rooms 3 & 4
Italian majolica of the Renaissance period, including Giorgio Andreoli's "Bath of the Maidens"; alabaster reliefs; paintings by Clouet and Foppa; 15th and 17th century bronzes, etc.
Rooms 5 -8
European arms and armor of the 15th century onwards; other European arms and Oriental arms and armour.
Room 11
Furniture by Boulle and others; paintings by Rubens.
Room 12
Sèvres porcelain; furniture by Riesener; religious paintings by Murillo; 18th century decorated boxes.
Rooms 13 & 14
Furniture by Cressent; views of Venice by Canaletto and Guardi; Sèvres porcelain.
Rooms 15 - 19
17th century Dutch and Flemish masters, including Rubens ("The Holy Family", "Isabella Brandt", "Landscape with Rainbow"), Rembrandt ("The Good Samaritan"), van der Meer, van Noort, Cornelis de Vos, Brouwer, Metsu, Jan Steen, Terborch, von Cuyp, van Ostade, Ruisdael, van de Velde, Frans Hals ("The Laughing Cavalier"), van Dyck ("Portrait of King Philip and his Wife"). Also Murillo (religious subjects), Velázquez ("Lady with a Fan"), Titian ("Perseus and Andromeda"), Rosa ("Landscape with Apollo and the Sybils"), Reynolds, Gainsborough ("Mrs Robinson"), Philippe de Champaigne (religious subjects).
Rooms 20 & 21
Miniatures; furniture by Cressent and Riesener; paintings including examples by Fragonard, Watteau ("Resting from the Hunt", "Lady at her Toilet"), Holbein (portrait of von Horenbout).
Rooms 22 - 24
Furniture by Cressent, Riesener and Boulle; paintings by Reynolds and others.
Room 25
Furniture by Riesener; decorated boxes; paintings, including examples by Vigée-Le Brun ("Comte d'Espagnac"), Nattier, Greuze ("Mademoiselle Sophie Arnould"), Fragonard.
The Wallace Collection
Hertford House
Manchester Square
London W1U 3BN
England
Hertford House
Manchester Square
London W1U 3BN
England
Hours
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
Always closed on:
New Year's Day (January 1)
May Day / Labor Day (May 1)
Day after Christmas, St Stephen's Day, Boxing Day (December 26)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
Good Friday - Christian (Apr 06)
May Day / Labor Day (May 1)
Day after Christmas, St Stephen's Day, Boxing Day (December 26)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
Good Friday - Christian (Apr 06)
Disabled
Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
Facilities
Gift shop