New-York tribune., 1900-07-08
A HOUSE BEAUTIFUL.
THE WALLACE COLLECTIONS IN LONDON
"A NOTABLE DISPLAY

Hertford were friends and had the same pas /
sion for collecting art treasures. with the private
fortunes requisite for iudulGing IT. Ihe feel
heirlooms, paintings, statuary and library were
left in the direct line Of inheritance. but o"lhs
to family reverses Of fortune have been auc-
toned off this spring and scattered The thirU (
Marquis Of HertfOrd a collector and IN
vested enormous rent rolls and his Wife's three
fortunes in treasures Of art, and the IOurlh
Marquis inherited the taste; but the coliectohs .
were not handed down in the direct line, Dut 20
a natural son. a cousin carrying on the Ci'is-
The collections were enlarged by Sir lllidiii
Wallace and stored in HeTtfOrd House, "here
they have passed into the possession OF Vhe
nation by the bequest Of Lady Wallace Ihese
priceless treasures which, unlike the Peel heir
looms were diverted from the direct line are
row one Of the richest Iegacies of the nation.
The Wallace collections, which were Inspected
by ROYALTY yesterday and are 10 be thrown open
TO the public next week on the same conditions
as the National Gallery, were bequeathed 10 the
nation three years ago. Hertford House mas
been reconstructed four large galleries having
been built on the site Of the stables and another
one on the first floor. The collections have been
arranged on a new principle. the furniture De
ing distributed among the rooms and galleries
so as to convey the impression OF an occuPleu
palace rather than museum Of art treasures.
The Wallace collections. as they stand are
UNIQUE i'm Eurooe The Louvre alone surpasses
them as an exhibit of French art of the eIgh-
teenth century. and it falls short of them IN
not Il few particulars Herucrd House T'F'iS
the celebrated Hermitage IN many respects and
ranks after the National Gallery as the great
est treasure house Of art in London. Portions
of the collections exhibited at bethhaI
Green from 1872 to 1919 and some Of the i'm
portant paintings have been seen occasionally
during recent years admission 10 Hertford House
has been difficult and restricted to privileged
visitors The collections will now ne opened TO
the world without entrance fee and with only
a sixpenCe for catalogue.
The entrance 10 HerJford House in Man
chester Square is spacious and impressive From
the corridor the great staircase with the
famous Louis Quatorze balustrade leads
from the ground floor 20 the first hcor.
and half way UP there are busts Of Lady
Wallace Sir William Wallace and the fourth
Marquis of HertforI. with great csinvases by
LIE Moine over them. To the right of the en-
trance hall is the red portrait gallery of royal
perscnaGes with pictures on the walls and
luxurious furniture. ornaments and objects Of
art The place of honor is occupied by
portrait of the Queen in her youthful beauty
and robes of state. The painter was Thomas
Sully, described in the catalogue as belonging
to the American School. concession made
with reserve since he was born III England ana
was befriended by Sir Thomas Lawrence.
The royal portrait gallery leads into a superb
room decorated in gold and white and filled
with French furniture, three splendid tables,
series of artistic screens ami magnificent vases
and ornaments. To the right are two galleries
in red, which are devoted TO paintings of the
earlier schools. such the Flemish letter Pour
bus's ''AIIegoriCaI Love Feast" the Venetian
CriveIIis small panel of St Roch and an antique
portrait of Charles V and to collections Of I,aI-
ian majoca and Limoges enaneIs. ivorIes.
plaquettes. lockwood carvings and metal WORK
There are six great cases at the side with ma
jolica of Urbno. Faenza, Fabriano Gubbio and
Pessaro; there are reefs Of portraits in CoIOrei
wax: there are collections of metal work repre-
sentng three centuries of handicraft and also
Of stamped leather, enamelled pottery and stone
ware Paiissy and Nuremberg ware. medals AID
plaGuettes; and there are examples of Della
Robbia's art in glazed terra cotta-Vir-in and
Child.
The two red galleries in the rear and two con-
Meeting with them on the left side are the Euro
pean and Oriental armories. These collections
were made by Sir William Wallace with a view
to Illustrating the beauty of the armorer's art
in all periods and natioualities. There are siS
objects which have been gathered together from
the Debruge. Meyrick Nieuwerkerke and