The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-22
A NOBLE TREASURE HOUSE.
Opening to the World of Grand
Art Collection.
From the London Telegraph.)

Opening to the World of . Gran,
Art Collection.
From the London Telegrsph.)
Hartford house, the red brick mansio,
which forms the north side of Mancheste
Square. is now temple of art, which vii
be one OF the chief glories of London, an
the envy Of the whole world. It Is tn
home Of the far-famed Wallace collection
OF art treasures. which probably has neve
been rivaled In history as private colIec
ton The Golden house of Nero. enriche,
with the spoils Of ancient Greece, and tn,
Indian treasures OF the Palace of Delhi
may possibly have represented q more fab
ulous sum than the collection which wa.
beQueathed to the British nation by Lady
Wallace a little more than six years ago
yet certainly no private collector in any
land or any age ever owned so many price
less jewels as did the lady who made thu.
more than princely gift to the country. The
Wallace collection was formed in the main
by Francis Charles, third Marquis. and
Richard, fourth Marquis Of Hartford, two
English noblemen Of inexhaustible fortune
and of exquisite taste in all matters relat.
ing TO art The fourth marquis, who spen,
most Of his life in Paris and was the close
friend Of Louis Napoleon. bequeathed his
treasures to the late Sir Richard Wallace
who left them, considerably enriched b.
the additions he himself had made to his
widow, and she. with noble generosity,
made them over to the nation.
In conformity with the terms OF the be-
quest, the Government agreed to give q
site In the central part OF London, and
build thereon q special museum, II being
expressly provided that the collection
should be kept intact. and bear the name
OF the generous testatrix- 1t was gener-
ally felt that the home Of the S.ymours
and Wallaces, in itself full OF historic as
sociations. should. II possible, be chosen
as the permanent home OF the collection:
and an act Of Parliament authorized the
expenditure. and the house Is now the
property OF the nation.
The following trustees were appointed
by the treasury July 49, 1897-in addition
to Sir John Murray Scott, batonet, who was
take over the Wallace collection: The
Earl OF Rosebery. Sir Edward Malet. Sir
John Stirling Maxwell, Alfred c. de Roths-
child. Mr.. Claude Phillips was appointed
keeper. Hartford house will be visited and
admired as the ideal House Beautiful"
Standing as it does on the site of the ear
lier mansion where lived that Marquis Of
Hartford, who. under the transparent dis
guise Of the Marquis of Steyne, has been
ny heTliOIu
house realizes the dream of what 1t Is
possible to accomplish in the way of beau
ty when one has the treasure of Attalus
to crafty the taste of Lorenzo de Me-
dici for all that is rich and rare.
Hartford House, indeed, has be trans
formed into place of delight One passes
through room after room of stately grand
eur, upon the walls of which, arranged
SO far as has been practicable, according
to their schools. hang masterpieces of the
great masters of the English, Dutch,
French. Italian, and Spanish schools. Very
few artists Of supreme distinction lack
representation-and worthy representation
lin these superb galleries.
Nor is it only upon the walls that the re-
cources Of art have been 1avished. In the
centre of the galleries will be found case
after case full of Sevres porcelain, only to
be rivaled by the Queens collection at
Windsor Castle and buckingham Palace.
metal work in silver and gold, ivories and
jewels, costly enamels Of Limoges. French
SNUFF boxes Of gold and enamel, delicately
set with diamonds and precious stones, rare
examples of Italian majolica, vases Of
jasper and onyx, each the work Of a ia
nous craftsman. French furniture, abso-
lutely unmatched in beauty, Of the reigns
Of Louis Qratorze, Louis Quinze. and Louis
Seize, priceless clocks, candeabra, bronzes.
garnitures, and cabinets-these have their
match hardly anywhere else In the world.
too, is the collection Of armor
formed by Sir Richard Wallace, occupying
Jour entirely new galleries, and the sculp-
.or's art is illustrated in a few choice ex-
amples by famous French masters of the
sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth cen-
uries.
There are wonderful examples Of Gin
% xvnfr rxnsR ILL
4 H;spano- Moorish ware, and Italian ma
olics. The large circular Cubic dish, |
The Bath Of Diana" signed by Maestro |
sioargio. and dated 1926, is unique. Very |
too is the great Urbino cistern,
lated 1872, displayed on q table by itself. |
There are also splendid examples Of Palis-
" ware. and Of Limoges enamels, from the |
hampleve enamels Of the early thirteenth |
century to those. on fiat surface Of cop
Ter. belonging to the sixteenth and seven
zenith centuries-dishes and covers by /
Martial Courtois. Pierre Raymond, and
ehan Court medals. worries and q very /
are and curious collection of cires, that Is,
olored wax portraits and medallions Of |
he sixteenth. seventeenth, and eighteenth
In the magnificent gallery which ira
erses the entire breadth Of the building on
uC uppCk VuSI luo Eukll6u women OF
reynolds and Gainsborough, Romney and
ioppner stand out in striking contrast to
he sterner and more sombre portraits Of
velasquez and Van Dyck.
In the series Of galleries set aside to
how the French art Of the eighteenth CEN
1ry, the daintiness, the delicacy and the
race OF the French masters at that time,
itherto so imperfectly appreciated In Enc
Lancret, Fragonard, Bou-
1er. Natter, Garlic van Loo, Madame Wig
e le Brun-are illustrated moro convinc-
Ugly here than In any private or public
allery in Europe, this section OF the COL
ction transcending in several Important
artlculars the treasures Of the Louvre
self. The Continental museums may envy
cndon Its possession Of such MASTER | ,.
eces as LA Femme a rEventail' OF We
zquez; the Philippe lie Roy and Mad
ne lie Roy" Of Van Dyck; the Laughing
waller" Of Frans Halls; the series Of s
lintings by Rembrandt: the Rainbow Z
ndscape Of Reubens; the i've landscapes c
Hobbema; The Horse Fair" Of Wouver- Q
an: the eleven examples Of Cuyp: and the 9
her rare canvlses Of tho Dutch and Z
emish schools in their PRIME Another t
ecial feature of the Wallace collection b
the gallery devoted to the French ana q
'itish masters Of the nineteenth century. liz
udhon can be studied In England for tne I
1t time. and the French Romantic school .
celves ample illustration. Many THINKS 10
Itch in this section might be considered I
trine deuode and artistlcslly less than | y
st-rate are. nevertheless. 1t great in.
'est - landmarks In the history Of
ench art