17 May - 24 November, 2013
Houghton Revisited
The Exhibition
In 1779, the family of Sir Robert Walpole, Britain’s first prime minister, sold his remarkable art collection to Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia. More than two centuries later, these masterpieces, rarely seen outside Russia since that time, returned to Houghton Hall for an extraordinary exhibition named "Houghton Revisited: Masterpieces from the Hermitage."
Curated by Dr. Thierry Morel, this ambitious project brought back some 70 European Old Master paintings from Sir Robert Walpole's collection, now part of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. With detailed watercolours, drawings, and plans, the paintings were rehung throughout our grand hall, a logistical feat made possible by loans from various institutions worldwide. HRH the Prince of Wales, a frequent visitor, praised Houghton Hall as one of England's greatest treasures. Walpole’s collection includes paintings by Van Dyck, Poussin, Rubens, and Rembrandt
About the Artist
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Christies, Oracle Capital Group and BP Russia amongst the corporate sponsors of the show. It won both the Hudson Heritage Award for Best Event and Apollo Magazine’s Exhibition of the Year award.
