NORFOLK, UK — Modesty wasn’t on the agenda when Sir Robert Walpole, Britain’s first Prime Minister, commissioned the building of Houghton Hall in the 1720s. Intended to reflect his considerable status, the design was devised by architects James Gibbs and Colen Campbell, with interiors by William Kent, and took into consideration the fact that Walpole was also a considerable art collector too.
The likes of Rembrandt, Velazquez, Poussin and Van Dyck adorned the bespoke walls of the house, forming one of most famous art collections of its time. That was until after Walpole’s death, when the extent of the debt that his Old Masters habit had caused was revealed. And so, in 1799 the collection was sold to Catherine the Great, who whisked the paintings away to be re-housed at the Hermitage in St Petersburg.
Now, 200 years later, the collection has found its way back to Norfolk for “Houghton Revisited”, for which the works have been re-hung by curator Thierry Morel and Lord Cholmondeley (Houghton’s current owner and a direct descendent of Walpole) according to the original plans. Blouin ARTINFO took a trip to the countryside to see this remarkable collection in its sumptuous surroundings, talking to Lord Cholmondeley about the history and future of Houghton Hall.
“Houghton Revisited” will be on display in Norfolk through November 24.
