The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2020 - Issue 27

bite exhibition As well as being his father’s assistant and adviser in Paris and inheriting his art collection, Richard Wallace also inherited his father’s properties in France, England, and Ireland. A great philanthropist, he was knighted in 1871 for his charitable services during the Siege of Paris. Before leav- ing Paris, he presented the city with 50 cast-iron fountains, known as ‘Les Wallaces’, which provided free, clean drinking water to the public. In 1872, he brought many of the inherited works of art to London. Interesting works include Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s iconic painting Les Hasards Heureux Del L’Escarpolette ( The Swing ), one of the most emblem- atic images of 18th-century French art. It shows a young woman wearing a lovely pink silk frock positioned mid-air on a swing between her elderly husband on the right and her young lover on the left. The force of the swing caused one of her slippers to fly off, resulting in a privileged view for her lover whose delight is suggested by the symbolic offer of his hat. The exquisite Musical Clock by Jean-Claude Chambellan Duplessis is a glorious confection of exuberant gilt bronze and rose pink silk. This beautifully-modelled clock strikes on the hour and plays a variety of tunes, a charming reminder of the passing of time. The case is flanked by sprays of flowers and leaves, and perched on a rocky outcrop at the top. A beautifully modelled spaniel peers down as he uses his paws to retrieve a pheasant from beneath an oak branch. Imperial Gold Wine Cups from China were decorated with pearls, pre- cious stones, and kingfisher feathers. They were made for the Qianlong Emperor who used them to celebrate the Chinese New Year during a cer- emony that took place in the Forbidden City in Beijing. There are only four examples of these Imperial cups in existence and two of them can be found in the Wallace Collection. The other two are in the palace muse- ums in Beijing and Taipei. Armour for Man and Horse created in 1480 possibly by Ulrich Rämbs in Landshut, Germany is an impressive equestrian armour that embodies the splendour and power of the medieval knight. The horse as a very fast and strong animal is trained for war and almost completely armoured in hardened steel plates. It is said European armour of any kind dating from before the 16th-century is extremely uncommon, but a near-complete horse armour is rarer still. There are only three in the world, including this one. Canaletto’s painting Two Views of Venice created 1734-44 represents large views of the Bacino di San Marco, Venice’s inner harbour of Saint Mark’s from opposite vantage points. They were acquired by the 1st Marquess of Hertford who travelled to Italy in 1738-39 when Canaletto was at the height of his career. Such views were extremely popular with British Grand Tourists who admired Canaletto’s apparent topographical accura- cy and desired views of Venice to take back home as souvenirs. There are many more works of art too numerous to mention in detail such as The Laughing Cavalier painting by Frans Hals; Astronomical Clock by Michel Stollewerck and Alexandre Fortier; The Marriage of the Virgin painting by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo; The Horn of St Hubert from France or Southern Netherlands; The Good Shepherd from Sri Lanka or Goa; The Avignon Clock by Pierre Gouthiére; The Toilet of Bathsheba by Francis van Bossuit; Console Table by André-Charles Boulle, and others. One of the more recent popular exhibitions held at the Wallace Collec- tion was An Enquiring Mind: Manolo Blahník , a partnership between Manolo Blahník International Limited and the museum. Described as “a match made in romantic heaven” by the Daily Telegraph, the exhibi- Images courtesy of The Wallce Collection