The Frist Center is pleased to present Houghton Hall: Portrait of an English Country House from February 13 through May 10, 2015. This exhibition showcases the renowned collection of paintings, furniture, porcelain, silver, costumes and other decorative arts from Houghton Hall, one of England’s finest country estates. Located in Norfolk, one hundred miles northeast of London, Houghton Hall was built in the early 1700s by Sir Robert Walpole, England’s first Prime Minister. More than 150 exquisite objects will be presented in vignettes with large-scale photo murals to evoke the luxurious interior of the house, from its intimately scaled library to the grand public spaces of its Marble Parlour—with a fully set dining table—and its remarkably proportioned Stone Hall and Saloon. Specific highlights include furniture by William Kent, Sèvres porcelain and Garrard silver, as well as family portraits by William Hogarth, Joshua Reynolds and John Singer Sargent. Seen together, the items in the collection demonstrate the rarified taste and access to great makers which such aristocrats had. Assembled by eight generations of descendants of Sir Robert Walpole, including the current Marquess of Cholmondeley, this collection comprises a fascinating chronicle of English history and offers a rare glimpse into the private interior of one of Britain’s grandest country houses. This exhibition was organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in collaboration with Houghton Hall. An indemnity has been granted by the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.
Posted on: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 16:52:47 +0000
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