If you go to the Mansion House, the Lord Mayor of London’s abode in the City, be sure to take a close look at the Dutch and Flemish 17th century paintings. They are hung a bit too high, “skyed”, but there are so many dos there that I suppose it is a safety-play. The point is that you will not see them anywhere else. Harold Samuel stipulated that they must not leave the Mansion House when he bequested his collection to the City in 1987. Incidentally The Merry Lute Player is supposed to be the first picture to have been bought at auction by telephone.
Likewise nothing in the Wallace Collection is lent to other galleries. Most galleries indulge in reciprocal lending for blockbuster exhibitions so you are likely to see the same picture in California, New York, London and Paris. I saw the Goya’s at the Prado, then at the Grand Palais in Paris and then back at the Prado; we were practically on first name terms.
Now skim read this list; I will leave out first names to make it shorter: Gris, Gaugin, Hopper, de Kooning, Magritte, Modigliani, Manet, Monet, Delacroix, Seurat, Signac, Corot, Sargent, Léger, Miró, Matisse, Van Gogh, Degas, Picasso.
Would you like to see works by the whole damn lot? Furthermore you are most unlikely to have seen any of them before. They are at Christie’s in London until 8th March, Paris 13th – 20th March, Los Angeles 6th – 12th April and New York in May. The majority of them are from the collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller so, unless you were on visiting terms, each and every one will be fresh. It is stupendous and Christie’s are to be cheered to the rafters for allowing the riff-raff to see them free. Really they should have charged for admission and given the money to one of the Rockefeller charities or, as charity begins at home, to themselves.
The exhibition includes ceramics and porcelain. I thought these 18th century Chinese rabbits rather kitsch.
I have a friend who admires hoopoes – she might care to bid for this aloof pair.
Some advice if you are contemplating seeing them in London and you should. The rooms are quite small and on a cold Monday morning it was crowded. Viewing at weekends would be a mistake. I envisage long queues even in the current cold weather. London ladies wear fur and boots.
There is not a single bad picture amongst the ‘Rockerfellers’ and all would be great to have at home. One of the Gaugins was my favourite of a sea cove. I hope the sale does very well for its foundation. Probably rather a more real foundation than many modern counterparts.