Enfilade

From The Wallace Collection and the conference programme:

The Wallace Collection is thrilled to announce the relaunch of the History of Collecting as Collecting Past and Present. This new series will take the format of biannual, themed study days, which will include fascinating talks from leading specialists, exploring collecting through the ages. Exclusive interviews with modern-day collectors will also feature, revealing tantalising glimpses into how exceptional objects are brought together. These will be followed by drinks receptions that will act as unique forums for discussion. For those further afield or unable to make it to the museum, the talks can be watched online. And if you are interested in taking part as a speaker at future events, calls for papers will be shared throughout the year.

Bishan Singh, The Court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780–1839), Amritsar or Lahore, 1863–64
(Toor Collection)

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Collecting through the Ages
Online and in-person, The Wallace Collection, London, 5 July 2024

The Wallace Collection and the outstanding artworks it contains were brought together through the 18th and 19th centuries by an extraordinary family of collectors—the marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard and Lady Wallace. Delve into the history of collecting across the ages at our first Collecting Past and Present event. You’ll hear from leading academics and specialists on a variety of subjects, from the collecting of Shakespearean relics to the houses of Calouste Gulbenkian. Also join us for a conversation with a leading modern-day collector of Sikh, Indian and Islamic art, Davinder Toor, who will offer exclusive insights into his passions and inspirations.

Registration is available here»

p r o g r a m m e

10.15  Welcome

10.30  Verena Suchy — Women as Collectors of 18th-Century Cabinets
In the theory and history of collecting, women collectors have often been absent. Examples of noble women from different German principalities, however, indicate that in the 18th century it was common—if not necessary—for aristocratic women to assemble collections of jewellery, decorative art, and precious objects. Examining these collections with Dr Suchy will shine a light on the collecting practices of women and their political and representative functions.

11.15  Refreshments

11.45  Kirsten Tambling — Shakespearean Relics in the Royal Collection
1816 was the tercentenary of Shakespeare’s death, and, in this year, George, Prince Regent, ordered seven toothpick cases fashioned from ‘Shakespere’s Tree’. He was thus inserting the monarchy into a buoyant contemporary trade in Shakespearean ‘relics’. Focusing on the 18th and 19th centuries, Dr Tambling will investigate Shakespearean relics in the Royal Collection and the significance of royals collecting
Shakespeare.

12.45  Peter Humfrey — Amabel, Countess de Grey, as Collector and Curator in Post-Orléans London
Diarist, practising artist, and commentator on the political events of her time, Amabel was also a well-informed collector, both of Old Masters arriving on the London art market in the wake of the French Revolution, and of the work of her younger contemporaries. Further, she was heir to a distinguished collection of paintings from her family and was active in documenting and rehanging it. Professor Humfrey will take a closer look at this fascinating character.

13.30  Q&A

13.45  Lunch break

14.45  Barbara Bryant — Stephen T. Gooden and the Marketing of Edward Burne-Jones’s Legend of St George and the Dragon Series
In 1894, a series of seven paintings by Burne-Jones came to auction at Christie’s. Dr Bryant will consider the protracted attempts by various dealers to sell the series in the 1890s until the successful sale by the relatively new gallery owner Stephen T. Gooden. Gooden’s achievement will give an insight into how art
dealers of this period marketed the modern masters.

15.45  Vera Mariz — The Making of a House for Calouste Gulbenkian’s Art Collection
Dr Mariz will explore the various residences that housed Calouste Gulbenkian’s art collection, with a primary emphasis on 51 Avenue d’Iéna. While the acquisition process of the latter mirrors that of acquiring artworks, Gulbenkian’s satisfaction remains uncertain. Newly discovered materials and innovative approaches offer fresh interpretations of the hôtel Gulbenkian, which will be presented as an intimate testament to Gulbenkian’s essence as an art collector.

16.30  In Conversation with Davinder Toor
Two centuries ago, Punjab’s Sikh ruling elite lavishly patronised artists and craftsmen to enhance the splendour of their empire. By the mid-19th century, the Sikh empire had met its demise at the hands of the East India Company. Over the following century and a half, Sikh artefacts were dispersed across the globe. Some ended up in British institutional collections, while others were bought and sold by collectors. With Curatorial Assistant Alexander Collins, Davinder will discuss how he has pursued his passion as a collector to create a lasting legacy to the empire of the Sikhs.

17.15  Q&A

17.30  Drinks reception